Once More
by Ms. Zeal
Summary: COMPLETE! Paranoia was good- it kept him alive. Paranoia and a persistent voice telling him to ditch the truck before he and Cloud reached Midgar.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

A figure dressed in black with spiky platinum-blonde hair strode through the ruined city with sure steps. He was of average height and build, if leaning toward the thin side. He was wearing a ribbed sleeveless turtleneck and loose-fitting cargo pants with combat boots that thumped softly on the pavement as he walked. A massive sword was attached to a magnetic holder on his back, red smears staining the blade attesting to its recent use. Emotionless green eyes scanned the wrecked buildings, glowing eerily in the darkness as twilight faded into night.

"Brother!"

The blonde glanced over his shoulder at the call, but did not slow his steps. The second man was wearing a similar outfit, one hand holding onto the sheathed katana at his side as he ran. He had a slim build, looking more fitting for the role of a dancer than a fighter. His glowing green eyes were bright with excitement as he hurried over, fine silver hair with just a hint of yellow brushing his shoulders as he jogged to catch up with the blonde.

"How did it go?" asked the first man, turning his eyes back to the buildings around them.

"Much better than the last town," the silver-haired man enthused, grinning broadly. "We have over a hundred new brothers and sisters! Obviously we won't know for sure how many until Mother weeds out all the unworthy ones tonight, but it looks promising so far!"

The blonde nodded but did not reply.

The silver-haired man's excitement dimmed a bit as he matched his companion's pace. He was silent for a moment, worrying his lip between his teeth before clearing his throat. "So, how much longer until we-"

The blonde cut him off with a raised hand, his head turning sharply to the left. Without a word, he moved quickly down the remains of an alley and entered a partially caved-in house at its end. One of the locals was lying atop of the broken remains of a staircase, trying to gather enough strength to move. He started painfully when the two appeared, throwing himself forward with a cry of agony in a futile attempt to reach the sword lying across the room.

The blonde met the man's eyes. "Will you join us?"

The man uttered something in his native language and spat at their feet.

A sword flashed and the man's head rolled. The blonde flicked the blood from his blade before returning it to the holder on his back. His apathetic gaze turned to the cringing silver-haired man at his side. "You missed someone, Kadaj."

Kadaj hunched his shoulders, looking contrite. "I'm sorry, brother. I was just so excited that so many wanted to join us-"

"That is no excuse," the blonde chastised, exiting the house and continuing his search of the city. "Have you forgotten that such sloppy behavior cost mother one of her favorite children?"

Kadaj bowed his head, closing his eyes as he remembered Loz. He was silent for a long moment. "I remember," he said softly, voice strained. He cleared his throat. "When, Cloud? When are we going to make them pay for what they've done?"

Cloud took pity on the younger man. The death of Loz was just as hard on him as it was on Kadaj, though Cloud took his pain and turned into something useful. "Soon."

Kadaj drew in a sharp breath, glancing up to meet Cloud's eye. "We're finally ready?"

The blonde nodded. "Depending on how many of our new siblings make it through the night, we may be ready to march on Midgar in as little as six months," he stated. He lifted his glaze, eyes hardening as he stared into the distance. "They will join us or die."

 ** _The two continued making their way through the town, unaware of their watcher from the Lifestream. A tall man stood in the swirling energy that comprised the river of life, long dark hair falling past his shoulders. His pale features were mostly hidden behind the high collar of his dark red cloak, although his crimson eyes were easily visible. A three-barreled handgun was holstered at his side and a golden gauntlet tipped with sharp claws covered his left arm. Vincent Valentine watched the scene before him in frustration, shaking head as he turned away._**

 ** _"ARE YOU DONE WITH THIS ONE, MY HOST?"_**

 ** _Vincent turned to the winged demon lounging near him. The humanoid creature had wild red hair that seemed to defy gravity with piercing yellow eyes. Sharp fangs were visible when he smiled and large bat-like wings were folded neatly behind him. His clothing reflected what Vincent himself was wearing, though the gunman assumed that was because the demon resided in his head and could only manifest in the physical world through the use of Vincent's body._**

 ** _"I am," Vincent replied, turning his back fully on the two ex-SOLDIER walking through the demolished town. He couldn't pinpoint exactly where he had gone wrong this time but the multiple failures were starting to wear on him. His gaze slid toward the demon re-ordering time once more, his thoughts going back to the start of this rather unusual day._**

 ** _He had traveled to the cave behind the waterfall near Rocket Town where Lucrecia was encased in crystalized mako. He had made the trek several times over the last few years, originally trying to come up with a way to free his lost love from the mako crystals. Though he was ultimately unsuccessful, he still made the journey and just sat with her, though she gave no indication that she was aware of anything at all. He knew she wasn't dead- the J-cells saw to that -but she had given up on living long ago._**

 ** _It was during the hours of quiet contemplation that Chaos had spoken to him. In the long years since Hojo's meddling had saddled Vincent with the demonic alter-ego, this was first time Chaos had ever spoken to him directly. The demon asked what he wished for most in this world. Although Vincent retained enough control to keep from answering, his eyes immediately sought out Lucrecia's form. Unfortunately, that seemed to be enough of an answer for the demon._**

 ** _The next thing Vincent knew, he was floating in a sea of green, softly glowing tendrils eddying and swirling around him. Instinctively he knew where he was: the Lifestream. And Chaos was standing right in front of him._**

 ** _The almost military manner in which Chaos had listed off the rules for whatever game he was playing had left Vincent off-balance. No direct interference was allowed. No revealing himself to anyone. No foreshadowing events to come. He could not travel back further than when Chaos was merged with Vincent. He could try to change the past as many times as he wanted, but it ultimately had to lead to a better outcome than that of the original timeline._**

 ** _Change the past. The casually mentioned impossibility gave Vincent pause and provided Chaos enough time to finish what he'd been doing. A window of sorts appeared before them, showing the interior of a lab with glowing tanks of mako along the far wall. Lucrecia was leaning heavily against one of the tables, a hand pressed against her bulging belly. She looked to be in pain._**

 ** _Lucrecia had always been Vincent's weakness and he knew it. One look at her and he knew he'd take whatever deal the demon offered. He had a chance to save her and there was nothing he wouldn't give for that._**

 ** _The first attempt had ended in utter failure. Vincent was essentially restricted to putting thoughts into her head and hoping she listened while making her think the thoughts were her own. Apparently, knowing how someone thought and knowing how someone phased thoughts in the privacy of their mind were two very different things._**

 ** _He eventually did get the hang of it, but every single thing he tried seemed to end worse than the last. He'd lost count of the times he'd watched her die and decided he couldn't do it again._**

 ** _He then turned his attention to her son. The first- and last -time he had spoken to Lucrecia in the cave, she had asked about Sephiroth. Given what Sephiroth had turned into, and the fact that he and his companions were chasing the madman with lethal intent at the time, he'd lied and told her he was dead._**

 ** _Again, every attempt ended in failure. The worst cases were when Cloud was raised as Sephiroth's replacement, either from birth or shortly thereafter. In the latest one, Sephiroth had been killed in an escape attempt early on and Cloud had grown up under Hojo's care to become ShinRa's golden boy. The death of Loz had seemingly driven home their mortality in Cloud's mind. Sephiroth had had a flair for dramatics. In contrast, Cloud was pragmatic. If one of them could be killed, they could all be killed._**

 ** _With that in mind, Cloud had started marching across the country with Kadaj and a few others, recruiting and killing in equal measure. He started with the isolated towns and villages, cutting phone and power lines as well as taking out cell towers to completely cut them off from the rest of the world before moving in. ShinRa didn't even know anything was wrong before Cloud had an entire continent under his control._**

 ** _Vincent rubbed his forehead, eyes narrowing slightly in a scowl. It seemed Sephiroth was irredeemable, as well. Perhaps he was trying to change too much? Sephiroth had been the driving force behind Meteor, which would have crippled- if not outright destroyed -the Planet, and then he'd instigated Geostigma. A small percentage of the world's population had already fallen to the epidemic before Kadaj merged with the remains of the Calamity, unwittingly allowing Sephiroth to manifest through the clone._**

 ** _Could he prevent Sephiroth from succeeding in summoning Meteor? Ultimately, Aeris had summoned the ultimate white magic to counter the ultimate black magic, but it was almost too late and the largest metropolis in the world had been almost completely destroyed. With Geostigma riding on its heels, they still didn't have an accurate count of how many people had been killed that day. Could he keep Cloud from giving the Black Materia to Sephiroth?_**

 ** _"PERHAPS THIS WOULD BE A GOOD STARTING POINT," Chaos stated, interrupting Vincent's thoughts._**

 ** _The gunman turned his attention back to the outer world, blinking in surprise as he found himself staring at a pale yellow truck bouncing down the road. The sun had almost reached its zenith in the sky, shining down on the two men riding in the bed. Cloud looked much the same as he had when Vincent had seen him in Mideel with severe mako poisoning. Although he was sitting against the tailgate, managing more or less to remain upright while the bumpy road knocked him this way and that, the vacant look his eyes indicated that was about the extent of his abilities at the moment. Zack was leaning against the wheel well, one leg bent with his arm resting casually on his knee. He was far enough away to give a pretense of normality to their situation but still close enough to help the blonde should he need it. The easy way in which he kept up a steady stream of chatter, including Cloud in the conversation while never actually asking for a response from the blonde, was a good indicator of just how long he'd been doing this._**

 ** _"When are we?" Vincent asked, turning to Chaos._**

 ** _"WE ARE APPROACHING THE NEXT TURNING POINT," the winged demon stated, a smile playing about his lips as he watched the truck moving down the road. "IN TWO MONTHS, CLOUD STRIFE WILL JOIN AVALANCHE. IN FIVE MONTHS, HE'LL AWAKEN YOU IN YOUR CRYPT."_**

 ** _"I see." Vincent watched as Zack laughed at something and reached over to ruffle Cloud's hair. Cloud's headed bobbled with the motion but he didn't react. "What is the turning point?" Vincent asked, fairly sure he already knew the answer._**

 ** _"THE DEATH OF ZACKARY FAIR, GUNNED DOWN BY THE SHINRA ARMY ON A CLIFFTOP AT THE EDGE OF THE MIDGAR WASTES."_**

 ** _Vincent nodded, going over what little information he had about that time period in his mind. After Zack's death, Cloud coped with what had happened to him by becoming the SOLDIER First in all but name and blocking out any memories that contradicted that. Tifa had been present in Nibelheim during the massacre, but didn't have all the facts and had been unwilling to challenge Cloud's version of events. The holes created by the blocked memories allowed Sephiroth to confuse and control the blonde, ultimately resulting in Cloud handing over the Black Materia. Had Zack lived, his very existence would have negated that entire set of problems._**

 ** _Decision made, Vincent turned his attention toward Midgar. He closed his eyes as the scenery blurred past him, reopening them to find he was now at ShinRa tower. It only took him a few moments to learn the army was being mobilized and would head out within the hour. The fugitives, as the commanding officer had informed his lieutenant, had been seen leaving Kalm in a yellow truck, heading for Midgar. Their orders were to intercept and eliminate the targets._**

 ** _Noting where on the map the confrontation was to take place, Vincent returned to Zack and Cloud, again closing his eyes against the dizzying blur of colors as he moved between locations. Once there, he turned his attention to Zack, studying the SOLDIER First with a critical eye. Upon closer inspection, Vincent could see the subtle tension running through Zack's body, like a coiled spring just waiting to be released. Sharp eyes continuously roamed the landscape and zeroed in on any movement off the road, cataloging and dismissing possible threats. A hand clenched, then released as a bird landed on a distant rock. His jaw tightened briefly as a rodent scurried off beneath some shrubs. The only oddity was the sword lying casually at Zack's feet instead of being more readily accessible near his hand. Zack twitched reflexively to the left as a howl echoed from the distance, catching himself as he realized it wasn't an immediate threat and Vincent understood. Shifting to his left- facing Cloud -would drop his right hand directly on the sword's hilt, leaving his left arm free to grab the blonde and go._**

 ** _It seemed Zack had been on the run for too long to lower his guard in the homestretch. His paranoia was good. Aside from keeping both he and Cloud alive and out of ShinRa's hands thus far, it would also give Vincent a better chance to influence his decisions._**

 **. . .**

 **To Be Continued**

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	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Zack kept a smile on his face as he kept up a stream of chatter, flicking a glance toward the driver of the truck. The old man didn't seem to be paying them any attention- and hadn't for hours -but the SOLDIER didn't want to take any chances. He'd managed to explain away Cloud's condition as having had too much to drink when they'd bummed a ride 'back to Midgar,' but that excuse wouldn't work twice. It was a long drive and Cloud should've been sober and well into the hangover by now. He exhaled softly, putting off that problem until they were closer to their destination. They still had several hours yet.

 **"We should leave the truck behind."**

Zack's brow furrowed slightly at the stray thought. He turned his head to look toward Midgar, already visible in the distance. There was no doubt that it would be faster to stay in the truck. Even though the road circled almost halfway around Midgar to get from the clifftops to the valley floor, it would still beat walking on foot by a long shot. On the other hand, there weren't many roads leading in and out of Midgar itself and he was fairly certain the Turks, if not ShinRa itself, knew he was headed there. If he had been seen in Kalm, it would be easy for them to set up a road block and force a confrontation. Zack knew he'd been lucky so far in the skirmishes he'd fought, never running into a large enough group to pose a threat. If ShinRa knew where he was, or rather where he'd be, they'd send out everything they had to eliminate him. The fact that they'd chased him for several months across two continents was proof enough of that.

 **"ShinRa's headquarters are in Midgar. If they even suspect that is our destination, then they're likely to send the army to stop us. We should leave the truck behind."**

Zack shook his head, smiling wryly at the errant thought. While it was fairly obvious ShinRa wanted him dead, he didn't think he was quite important enough to warrant sending out the army. Then again, after Banora and Nibelheim- where the company destroyed the entire town to cover-up what happened -he wouldn't put anything past ShinRa. Deciding that it was better to be overly paranoid than ambushed, Zack pushed himself to his feet, holding onto the cab of the truck with one hand as he stretched muscles sore from bouncing in the bed for far too long. Shifting his gaze, he watched the road for a few moments, looking for anything likely to make the driver slow down. It wasn't long before he saw a rather large dip coming up and he knew this was his chance. Falling back into a crouch, he surreptitiously glanced back toward the driver. The old man was distractedly fiddling with the dials on the radio.

Lips quirking in a grin, Zack replaced the buster sword on the magnetic holder on his back and lifted Cloud over one shoulder. "I know I said we'd be able to ride all the way to Midgar, but there's been a change in plans," he informed the blonde, keeping his tone light as he held onto the side of the bed with his free hand. "Seems our stop is coming up a little sooner than expected."

It wasn't long before the truck slowed and Zack hopped out of the bed, stumbling a few steps before he managed to catch his balance. He turned and watched as the truck continued down the road, none the wiser of its missing passengers. He carefully set Cloud on his feet, still supporting the blonde's weight while he pulled one limp arm over his shoulder and put his own arm around the other's waist. Turning from the road he started walking, automatically setting a slow pace to match the shuffling steps at his side.

Hours passed, the rolling hills long since replaced by the craggy rock formations that made up the majority of the cliffs around the wastes. The day was fading into twilight- at least Zack assumed it was. Dark clouds had been building for the last few hours and although the SOLDIER couldn't yet smell any rain on the air, he knew it was only a matter of time. "At least we won't have to worry about helicopters once this storm gets underway," Zack said optimistically. They'd only seen two helicopters so far, but that didn't mean the Turks weren't out in full force looking for them. He'd been lucky in that he'd managed to find somewhere to hide both him and Cloud without being seen both times. He knew if he was spotted Cissnei wouldn't be able to help him this time.

"Whoops! Easy there," Zack said, tightening his grip as the blonde stumbled. "I guess it's time for another break, huh? Let's move over there first, alright?" he asked. "Partial cover is much better than none." He guided Cloud's faltering steps toward a crevice in the rugged rocks to their left, gently easing the blonde to the ground. "Alright, rest up Spiky," he said, taking a seat next to Cloud while absently rolling his left shoulder to relieve the pressure building there. "But don't take too long. I know we haven't seen much in the way of anyone else out here- aside from the helicopters, I mean -but I think this storm will be our best chance to cross the wastes." He let his gaze wander toward the edge of the cliff no more than fifty yards away, Midgar looming just a few miles beyond that. They were so close Zack could almost taste it.

"I don't know if you remember or not," he continued, still rubbing his shoulder, "but once we get down off the cliffs, it's a straight shot to Midgar- literally. The wastes are flat with virtually nothing to use as cover. Hopefully we can find a way down there before the rain starts." He chuckled, uselessly digging his fingers into his shoulder blade. Nothing he did seemed relieve the pressure. "Man! Have you been sneaking food when I'm not around? My shoulder has never acted up like this after carrying you for only a few hours!" He finally gave up trying to massage it away, ruffling Cloud's hair instead. "But, don't you worry about me! I can still carry you just fine. It doesn't really hurt or anything, it just...feels weird, I guess. It's starting to tingle, like it's going numb. I'd carry you on the other shoulder for a while, but I need my right arm free in case we _do_ come across anyone up here. I've gotten pretty good at fighting while carrying you- not that you need to be reminded of that particular skill, I'm sure. At least you don't seem to get motion sickness anymore, right?"

 **"We should go."**

Zack sighed, heaving himself back to his feet. "Alright, break's over Spiky. Come on, up and at 'em," he said, pulling Cloud back to his feet and sliding the blonde's arm back over his shoulder. "You can rest again once we're closer to the edge while I look for a way down, alright?"

Zack hadn't walked more than a few yards when he felt something bulge out from his shoulder, ripping a hole in his shirt. He stumbled in surprise, somehow managing to keep his feet and not drop Cloud at the same time. Eyes tightly shut, he stood still for a moment and took several slow deep breaths as he concentrated on just _feeling_. Muscles he couldn't identify contracted and tendons he didn't know he had stretched behind his back. There was also a feeling similar to wind blowing through long hair, except Zack knew he didn't have hair that long anywhere on his body but his head. And this was definitely _not_ attached to his scalp. He could also feel something soft brushing against his bare arm around Cloud's back.

Zack slowly opened his eyes, very carefully turning to look over his shoulder. Although he was certain he knew what he'd see, the black wing sprouting from his back was still a shocking slight. He turned his eyes back to the front, taking a few more deep breaths. "Okay," he said, although the voice that came out of his mouth didn't sound like it belonged to him. "That's...unexpected." His eyes widened, jaw going slack with a horrible realization. "Does that mean...I'm degrading too?"

 **"I'll worry about that later. We can't afford to stop now."**

Zack simply stood there for a moment, letting the implications of this new development wash over him. Genesis had showed signs of rapid aging and mental instability once he'd started degrading. There was also a sharp decline in his level of skill as his body failed him. How long did it take for him to reach that point? How much longer did Zack have?

Resolutely shaking his head, Zack forced his feet to keep moving. He'd have time to freak out later, after they were hidden in the slums. If nothing else, the foreign sensations coming from his new appendage gave him a whole new appreciation for how Angeal must have felt. He scowled darkly at the thought of his mentor, purposefully standing up straight as he walked with sure steps. He would not bow to this. An extra limb would not determine his worth. "I am Zackary Fair, SOLDIER First Class," he declared, his voice hard. "I am who I choose to be, _not_ what others make me. This does _not_ make me a _monster_.

The first few drops of rain were just starting to fall as they reached the edge of the cliff. Zack settled Cloud against some rocks before looking over the side with a critical eye. His enhanced sight could easily see all the way to the bottom of the cliff, even in the gathering gloom, but it didn't look good. There was simply no way he could scale the cliff wall, especially while carrying Cloud. He'd have to keep walking until they found another way down.

A faint hum, barely noticeable over the drizzle of rain caught Zack's attention and he darted toward the nearest rock, pressing his wing close to his body as he searched the skies. He found a small black helicopter to the north of his position, though it looked like little more than a blob at this distance. The search light was turned on and sweeping left to right as they searched the clifftops for the escapees. Zack watched them for several seconds, breathing a sigh of relief when he realized the chopper's current path wouldn't intercept them.

Not wanting to take any chances, Zack kept low as he crawled back to Cloud. "Bad news, buddy. It seems ShinRa knows we're somewhere on the cliffs and is still out looking for us," he informed the blonde. "I'd like to say I have good news too, but it doesn't look like we'll be able to get down from here. We'll have to keep walking and hope we don't run into any patrols on foot." He sighed, settling down next to Cloud as he waited for the helicopter to move on. Chances of them being spotted out the side window weren't good, but Zack wasn't willing to risk it. Sitting against the rocks, they were just another dark spot on the landscape.

Zack shifted, trying to find a comfortable way to sit with his wing folded behind him. No matter how he moved, he was either sitting on it (and digging rocks painfully into the surprisingly sensitive appendage), pulling, pinching or bending feathers (which, he soon discovered, was its own brand of uncomfortable) or bunching up muscles and bones as his weight forced them to bend in ways they weren't designed to. He finally gave up, stretching the wing out as an impromptu rain cover for Cloud. "Man, I really hope this thing's not permanent," he sighed.

Zack glanced back at Cloud, who had turned his head and seemed to be staring at the black wing- or would be, if his eyes were focused. Zack reached out, laying a hand on the blonde's shoulder. "Now, I know what you're thinking, Spiky," he said, smiling wryly. "Why don't I just use my wing and fly us outta here, right? Well, aside from the fact that I'm still figuring out how to use the thing, I have no idea if it's strong enough to support both our weights."

Zack didn't mention that he was having a harder time dealing with the thought of being able to fly than the sudden addition of a wing to his person. He'd been a deranged scientist's plaything for years. He could remember when he had been called on to put down the fruits of Hojo's labors back when he was still on ShinRa's payroll. He remembered the monsters mutated beyond recognition, with bones growing outside their skin or an extra head on their back. In light of that, one wing didn't really seem so bad. Using it, on the other hand...

If he were completely honest with himself, Zack was afraid he'd turn into Angeal. Spouting philosophy from the safety of the sidelines was all well and good, but actually being on the receiving end of the looks of horror, of the whispers behind his back, of being ostracized simply because he was _different_... Zack wasn't sure how well he'd cope with that. Oh, the majority of the populace wouldn't bother him. He was a SOLDIER, and they were feared as much as they were respected. No, there was only one person that mattered to him. Aeris had been afraid of SOLDIERs before they met because they weren't 'normal.' They'd gotten past that but now, after everything he'd gone through to make it to Midgar, if Aeris couldn't...

Zack shook his head sharply, breaking off the thought. He couldn't dwell on 'what ifs' right now. Instead, he turned his attention back to scanning the skies for the helicopter. He could no longer hear it over the rain that was now coming down in buckets and figured that visibility was poor enough they could start moving again. "Come on, Cloud," he said, hauling the blonde back to his feet. "Time to go."

Zack froze, eyes darting toward a beam of light reflecting off the rain maybe forty feet to his right. It disappeared a few seconds later, blocked by the numerous rocky formations littering the area, but Zack knew what it was. Ground patrols were closing in on their position, and with the cliff on one side and the helicopter as back-up... Zack knew if they were found now, he'd never be able to get Cloud out of here.

 **"I've got to risk going over the cliff. Even if the wing can't fully support us both, it'll slow our descent so we make it to the ground safely."**

Zack hesitated, all the possible scenarios playing through his mind. He didn't know how many people were out there, or even how far away they were. While the rocks and rain could give him enough cover to sneak behind them and take them out quietly, it would only take one person radioing for help to bring every Turk and trooper out here down on their heads. Zack grit his teeth. They were too close to fail now. He wasn't going to let Cloud be caught again because he couldn't face his fears.

 **"We're out of time! I've got to risk it!"**

Pushing thoughts of Angeal far from his mind, Zack shifted so he was holding Cloud bridal style and turned so he was facing the edge. He closed his eyes, moving his wing back and forth a few times to make sure he had the hang of it before stretching it out to its fullest. Getting a running start, he took a deep breath and jumped off the cliff.

 **. . .**

 **To Be Continued**

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	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

 ** _Vincent watched as the two fugitives plummeted an alarming distance before Zack figured out how to angle the wing in such a way to allow them to glide. "Are you sure activating the J-cells like that won't make him more susceptible?" he asked._**

 ** _"A LITTLE LATE FOR SECOND THOUGHTS, MY HOST," Chaos pointed out. "YOU WERE RATHER EAGER WHEN ASKING FOR A WAY TO SCALE THE CLIFF."_**

 ** _"Call it damage control," Vincent stated. "Did you activating the cells weaken his defense against her?"_**

 ** _"THE CALAMITY SEEKS TO PERVERT THE MIND. HER CELLS DO LITTLE MORE THAN STRENGTHEN THE CALL, REGARDLESS OF THEIR ACTIVE OR DORMANT STATE."_**

 ** _Vincent nodded, turning his attention back to the winged SOLDIER rapidly crossing the wastes. Apparently over his fears, and realizing how much faster it was to fly as opposed to walking, Zack seemed to have decided to continue traveling by air. There were a few clumsy attempts before he figured out how to beat the wing to regain lost altitude, but he was still making good time and the storm provided ample cover for his escape. Content with his intervention thus far, Vincent settled back to watch._**

It was long past dark by the time they finally reached Midgar. Zack had had to stop twice to rest, but the city wall now loomed ahead of them. Beating his tired wing to gain a bit more altitude, Zack easily glided over the top of the wall, making sure to stay high enough that any guards posted near wouldn't see him. It took him another half hour of flying before he found what he was looking for: the church where he had met Aeris. Smiling wearily, Zack swooped down, intending to enter through the hole he'd made when he fell through the roof preceding their first meeting. However, his tired mind failed to compensate for his stretched out wing, which smacked painfully into the side of the hole and sent him spinning out of the control into the dark interior of the church. Zack clutched Cloud tightly against him, instinctively curling protectively around the blonde as they crashed into the wooden pews.

Zack couldn't do more than simply lay there for a moment, reveling in the fact that he had made it. Long months had been spent traveling the globe after years trapped in the labs, always on the run from ShinRa. It had been a hard road, but he had finally, _finally_ made it back here. Then the moment passed and he groaned as all his brand new aches and pains screamed for his attention.

Heaving himself to a sitting position, he took a stock of his body. Nothing seemed to be broken, although he was certain he'd be sporting more than his fair share of beautifully colored bruises all over in the morning. Glancing at the splintered wood around him, he decided to count himself lucky.

Cloud didn't seem to be injured, although that was more guesswork than anything else. Nothing was obviously broken, but beyond that he'd just have to wait and see if there was any unusual swelling in the morning.

The temptation to lie down and sleep right there was almost overwhelming, but Zack couldn't risk it. As far as he knew, the Turks didn't do a security sweep in the church before Aeris came here in the morning, but he wasn't willing to take that chance. Pulling the blonde up beside him, he staggered toward the back door, realizing he'd never been through it and hoping there was actually a room back there.

Zack couldn't help but blink as he stepped through the open doorway. There was indeed a room there, stairs lining the wall leading up to the rafters as well as down into the basement. There was also what appeared to be a train car, coming in through a broken section of wall and running through the floor clear down into the basement. Most of the rest of the floor had rotted and fallen away at some point, leaving a narrow walkway around the edges of the room. Zack just shook his head, wondering how he could have visited the church so many times in the past and never seen this.

"I think I'd feel better if we slept downstairs tonight," he quipped, leading Cloud toward the stairs as the boards creaked loudly under their feet. They made it down without mishap and Zack guided them toward a relatively clear area near several barrels in the corner. "I guess this is as good as place as any," he commented, easing Cloud down and lying beside him. "Rest up, buddy. Tomorrow marks the first day of our new lives."

 **. . .**

Zack woke slowly, biting back a groan as he shifted. His entire body was stiff and sore, feeling as if... "As if I crashed through the roof of the church," he muttered, the events of the previous day coming back to him. He shot to his feet, aches and pains forgotten as several facts registered in his mind. It was now the next day. And Aeris was likely tending her flowers upstairs at this very moment.

With barely a thought, he took to the air and flew back to the doorway, bypassing the squeaking boards so as to not startle the flower girl. He carefully peeked his head around the corner, his breath catching in his throat. Kneeling amidst the flowers, watering can in hand, was Aeris. She was wearing a light pink dress with a red jacket, humming softly to herself as she worked. Her light brown hair was pulled back in a ponytail, held in place with the ribbon Zack had bought her all those years ago. She was just as beautiful as he remembered.

He must have made a noise because she glanced up suddenly, her eyes going wide as the watering can fell to the floor. Zack quickly put a finger to his lips, casting a significant look at the closed doors. The Turks were just outside. If they heard anything unusual, they wouldn't hesitate to investigate.

Never taking her eyes off him, Aeris rose to her feet and slowly crossed to the doorway where he stood. Zack backed off a little, allowing her to enter the room and revealing his wing- previously hidden behind the doorframe -at the same time. "Hey, Aeris," he said, giving her a timid smile. "Did you miss me?"

Aeris just stared at him, wing and all. "Zack," she breathed, scarcely daring to believe her eyes. She stepped toward him carefully, almost as if she was afraid he'd disappear if she moved too quickly. When he didn't, she threw her arms around him, holding him tightly as if to convince herself that he was real. "Where have you been?" she whispered.

"Sorry I'm late," Zack said, returning her embrace. "I've been trying to get back to you for _months._ "

"Months?" Aeris repeated, pushing herself back enough to see his face although she still refused to let him go. "Zack, I haven't heard from you for the last four _years!_ "

A pained look crossed Zack's face. "I know. And, I'm sorry. I got us out of there as soon as I could, but I..." He closed his eyes, shaking his head. "It took me far too long. I'm sorry."

"What happened to you?" she asked, trying to understand the pain behind the words. "Why couldn't you come back? Why couldn't you _call?_ You said you would, even on a mission."

"...We did something that caught Hojo's attention," Zack said, his voice dropping to just above a whisper.

Aeris felt the blood drain out of her face. She didn't remember much from her early childhood, although the steel tables, bright surgical lights and needles had given her nightmares for years. "No," she breathed. That wasn't a fate she would wish on anyone, much less the man she loved. "Please, tell me he didn't... That you weren't...for four _years_..."

Zack glanced up in surprise, not having expected Aeris to connect the dots so quickly. He opened his mouth to reply, only to shut it a second or two later. There wasn't really anything to say.

"Oh, _Zack_..."

"Yeah," Zack said, rubbing the back of his head. He cleared his throat uncomfortably, changing the subject. "Anyway, we're kinda _wanted_ by ShinRa now, so I can't let the Turks see either of us..."

Aeris blinked. "We?" she asked. "Is there someone with you?"

"Oh yeah, I never got around to introducing you two before...well. I left him down in the basement," he said, gesturing toward the large hole in the floor. "He's...not doing too well, I'm afraid."

"Can I meet him?"

"Sure," Zack said, grinning. "He's not as cute as I am, but I'm sure you'll love him." He took her hand as he turned, leading her down into the basement.

"What happened to your arm?" she asked as she followed him down. "It looks pretty bruised."

"Hm?" Zack asked, glancing over his shoulder as he turned his arm to see the back of it was indeed covered in bruises clear up to his shoulder and disappearing beneath his shirt. "Oh, uh, that happened, well, last night. We kind of, uh, crashed into the benches out there."

Aeris blinked. "That was you? It looks like there was some kind of fight." She paused. "You crashed?"

"Yeah, well, the wing is kind of a new addition..." he hedged, shrugging. "Sorry about the mess."

Aeris shook her head. "I don't mind, Zack. I'm just glad you're alright," she said, squeezing his hand.

They reached the bottom of the stairs and Zack led her over to the corner where he had left Cloud. The blonde hadn't moved, although his eyes were open and glowing softly in the darkness of the corner.

"Oh good, you're awake," Zack said, releasing Aeris' hand as he pulled the blonde to a sitting position. "This is Aeris Gainsborough, the girl I'm always talking about. I'm sure you remember her, she's the whole reason we came back to Midgar." Cloud remained sitting when Zack released him, but did not react otherwise.

Zack was far too used to this to let it bother him. "Aeris, this is Cloud Strife. He may be a bit on the quiet side, but the kid's got a heart of gold and a backbone made of steel. He's even saved my bacon a time or two," he said, clapping the blonde on the shoulder. His body swayed listlessly with the movement.

Aeris couldn't help but stare for a few seconds. "Oh, I'm sorry, where are my manners? It's a pleasure to meet you Cloud," she said, covering her lapse as she bent forward to get a better look at him. Aside from the glowing eyes, Cloud reminded her of a certain slum dweller in Sector 5 who currently lived in the blocked off end of a large broken pipe. Perhaps they were suffering from the same illness...?

"As you can see, Cloud wasn't quite as lucky as I was," Zack said, his forced cheer falling away as he ran a hand through his hair. "As far as I can tell, ShinRa doesn't know we made it into the city. My plan is to find somewhere to hide out in the slums and take any odd jobs I can find until Spiky's back on his feet- at least, that _was_ the plan. Not sure who'll hire me with this," he said, flaring his wing slightly. "Makes lying low a bit difficult, too."

"You're not staying?" Aeris asked, clearly dismayed.

"Well, I don't see how we can," Zack said, looking away. "I mean, we both know the Turks are watching you..."

Aeris blinked at him, her expression just a bit too innocent to be genuine. "Why would they be watching me?"

"I know you're an Ancient, Aeris," Zack explained, figuring it was better to be blunt. "The last one in the world, they said. And I knew the Turks would be watching you closely, but..."

Aeris was silent for a moment, dropping her gaze to the floor. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you, Zack," she said at last. "It's just... I didn't-"

"Hey, don't worry about it. We all have our secrets, right?" he asked, waving away her apology. "It doesn't change anything."

"Still, I'm sorry you had to hear it from someone else," she said. She paused as she registered what he said. "Wait, you knew the Turks were watching me... And you came anyway?"

Zack shrugged, flashing her a helpless smile. "I just had to see you again."

Aeris returned the smile, feeling some of the tension in the room ease as she moved over to sit on one of the barrels. "So, where does that leave us?" she asked.

Zack sighed, carefully moving around Cloud as he took a seat next to her. "I honestly don't know. I mean, there's nothing I want more than to stay, but if the Turks found out..." He shook his head. "I won't let them take Cloud back there, no matter what. And I'd never forgive myself if they used either of us to get to you."

Aeris folded her arms, her brow furrowed in thought. "So you need a place for you and Cloud to stay for a while, you want to stay with me but can't be seen with me in public, and you can't stay here because the Turks do occasionally come in here, right?"

"Yeah, I guess that about sums it up."

"Well, I think I may have the perfect solution."

"Oh yeah?" Zack asked, raising an eyebrow. "What's that?"

Aeris turned her head, smiling warmly. "You'll just have to come live with me."

Zack stared at her. "I thought the point was for us _not_ to be seen by the Turks," he pointed out. "If they think I've made it to the city, your house is the first place they're gonna look."

"Maybe," Aeris agreed. "But not until I give them a reason to think you may be there."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you know they've been watching me for years," she stated. "If I run home and don't come back to tend the flowers for a week, then of course they're going to come looking for you. But if I don't deviate from my normal routine, they have no reason to suspect you're here and won't do anything that might raise my suspicions either."

Zack shook his head. "I don't think that's a good idea, Aeris. There's too much that can go wrong."

"No, it can work! Listen, the Turks don't watch me as closely as they used to- I don't know what happened, but I think they lost some of their members and just don't have the manpower to keep eyes on me at all times. Midgar is a big place- unless I give them a reason to, they won't come looking for you here," she said, placing her hand on his knee. "Besides, from a logical viewpoint, wouldn't it make more sense for you to look up some of your old friends in SOLDIER? Almost anyone on the Plate would be in a better position to help you than a flower girl in the slums."

"But Aeris, I can't-"

" _Please_ , Zack."

Zack hesitated, weighing his options. He didn't want to put Aeris in any more danger, but he also knew he wouldn't be able to stop himself from visiting her as often as possible. It wouldn't be a matter of 'if' they were caught, only 'when.' She, at least, seemed sure the Turks wouldn't check her house and she _had_ been dealing with them for years, a lot longer than Zack himself... "What would your mother say?" he asked after a moment, not willing to give in without at least a token resistance.

"She'd understand," Aeris said quietly.

"What makes you say that? Elmyra doesn't even _like_ me."

Aeris laughed. "She doesn't like _ShinRa_ ," she clarified, bumping her shoulder lightly against his. "Her husband died during the Wutai war and she found me shortly after my birth mother managed to get us...well, away from Hojo."

Zack just stared at her for a few seconds, processing what she'd said. He'd had no idea that Aeris had been at that madman's mercy before. No wonder she had known exactly what he'd meant when he'd mentioned Hojo earlier. "Aeris," he breathed, shocked by the revelation. "I had no idea that you..."

She shook her head. "I was only six or seven when we escaped, so I honestly don't remember much about it."

"Still..." Zack stopped, realizing she probably didn't want to talk about it anymore than he wanted to discuss what happened in Nibelheim. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close as he shifted the conversation back to the subject at hand. "Your mom may be sympathetic, but I don't think she'll be too crazy about you bringing _me_ home," he stated.

Aeris just grinned, laying her head on his shoulder. "You just figure out how to get Cloud to my house without anyone seeing either of you. Let ME worry about mom."

 **. . .**

 **To Be Continued**

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	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

After agreeing on a plan of action, Zack and Aeris spent the remainder of the afternoon just talking like they used to. Aeris continued working in the flower bed while Zack sat nearby, one of the pews blocking him from view of the doorway in case anyone decided to come in. Even with the hushed voices and quiet laughter, Zack couldn't believe how good it felt to just be able to sit and relax for once.

"I guess I should start heading home," Aeris said, standing and brushing her hands together to dislodge the dirt clinging to her fingers.

"Are you sure about this, Aeris?" Zack asked.

"Stop worrying so much," she lightly scolded, turning to face him. "It'll be fine. It usually takes me about twenty minutes to walk home, but I'm going to stop by the market for a bit to give you a little more time to get there before I do. You do remember where I live, right?"

"Yeah, I remember. Besides, it can't be too hard to find the only other place flowers grow in Midgar, right?" he teased.

"That's right! I've got the corner on the flower selling market, remember," Aeris said, mock seriously. "So no damaging my merchandise by falling on them again!"

"It was only once!" Zack protested. She gave him a mock glare and he raised his hands in surrender, laughing. "Alright, I won't hurt the flowers," he promised her.

Aeris nodded sharply. "Good," she replied, the grin playing about her lips ruining her severe expression. Her gaze slid to the door, the levity falling away. "Remember to wait a few minutes before you leave, so I have time to draw the Turk's attention away from the church," she cautioned. "It'll ruin everything if they see you leaving here."

Zack smiled at her reassuringly. "Don't worry, I'll be careful," he promised, pulling her into a hug. "And I'll be waiting when you get home."

Aeris nodded, returning his embrace for a few seconds before pulling away. "Well, I guess I should start heading that way, then," she said, gathering her tools into her basket and heading toward the front of the church. "I'll see you there."

Zack nodded, ducking into the back room and listening to the door open and close as Aeris left. He hopped lightly back down to the basement level, making his way over to Cloud. The blonde was still sitting next to the barrels, right where Zack had left him.

"Alright, Spiky, time to go," Zack said, hauling Cloud to his feet and helping him walk toward the stairs. "If everything goes according to plan, this will be our last move in a while. Assuming Aeris can talk her mother into it, we'll be staying with them from now on- at least until things settle down. You won't have to worry about being shot at by ShinRa or almost being eaten by another zolom- which, I'd like to remind you, was totally _not_ my fault, so you can't hold that against me," he said, his eyes flicking to Cloud's face before sliding back to the stairs. A small part of him was always hoping to elicit some sort of response from the blonde with his inane chatter, but the larger part was just trying to fill the silence. "Besides, it'll make a great story to tell your girl some day- she probably won't believe you, but trust me, those are the best kinds because no matter how ridiculous it may sound, it's all true."

It took them a few minutes to make it to the top and Zack stopped, studying the framework of beams leading to the hole in the roof with a critical eye. "Well, it looks like this is as far as you can go, buddy," he said, bending down and scooping up Cloud bridal style. "It's too narrow for two people, but the boards look sturdy enough. Although, I suppose if they _do_ break, I'll get another impromptu flying lesson, huh?" he joked. The ex-SOLDIER took a moment to make sure Cloud was secure before stepping out onto the beams. The wood groaned softly beneath their combined weight, but held. "See, what did I tell ya? Nothing to worry about."

It didn't take Zack long to make his way across the rafters and out on to the roof. He stepped out cautiously, scanning the area around the church for any potential witnesses. "Well, the coast is clear and I think it's been long enough that Aeris' tail is out of the area. Let's go." He climbed to the peak of the roof, spread his wing and leapt into the air.

The stagnant air in the slums made it a bit difficult to gain the altitude Zack needed to fly comfortably (and, more importantly, _inconspicuously_ ) overhead, but his new limb was well up to the task. Several powerful strokes of his wing had him well over a hundred feet in the air, almost halfway between the slums and the plate, and rising. When the sharp edges of the debris littering the area turned to a blurred outline obscured by the ever-present haze of pollution, Zack decided he was high enough. Re-positioning his wing, he glided silently through the air, following the path to Aeris house.

It didn't take him long to reach his destination. It was just as he remembered; a little two-story cottage tucked into a corner off the beaten path with only one way in or out. A small stream of water flowed out of a pipe on the concrete wall behind the house- drainage from the plate still filtering down after all the rain the previous day. It gave Aeris' house the illusion of sitting on an island in the middle of a small lake, two smaller 'islands' connected to it by wooden bridges and both ringed with flowerbeds. Aeris' gardens.

Zack decided the smaller garden would give better cover, as the house itself would block them from view of the winding path that led to the main thoroughfare of Sector 5. Maneuvering himself directly (he hoped, birds-eye view made it a little difficult to tell) over the island, he folded his wing against his back and went into freefall. About thirty or so feet above the ground, he flared his wing to slow his descent. The wing caught the air, redirecting his momentum instead of slowing it and Zack quite suddenly found himself diving quickly toward the concrete wall. He yelped in surprise, arms tightening around Cloud as he banked hard up and to the right. He felt the outermost feathers brush against the concrete and breathed a shaky sigh of relief.

"Well, that was a bit exciting, eh Cloud?" he asked, noting he was once again much higher than he wanted to be. "Looks like I need to find an open space to practice my aerial maneuvers, huh?"

Opting to take the slower approach, Zack continued circling to lose altitude, dropping the last ten feet to the ground. His boots slid across the dirt as he lost the last of his momentum, stopping just shy of the flowers. "Ha, and she thought I'd ruin them," he commented, grinning as he lowered Cloud to the ground. "Not my best landing, I'll admit, but better than the one at the church, right?" He stretched, letting the last vestiges of adrenaline fade before plopping down next to the blonde. "Now, I guess all that's left to do is wait."

Zack laid back on the dirt, pillowing his head on his arms. "It seems like things are finally going our way," he commented, staring at the layer of smog mostly obscuring the plate from view. "It's taken a long time to get here, but I finally feel like we're gonna be alright, you know?" He slanted a glance toward the blonde before closing his eyes. "Hang in there, Spiky. We'll get you through this."

It was difficult to track the time without a watch and almost impossible in the perpetual gloom underneath the plate where not even the sun's rays could reach. Zack was trying to be patient, but it was getting harder and harder and to do so. "Aeris should have been back by now," he muttered, giving in to his restlessness and pacing worriedly around the garden. "Twenty minutes to walk home, ten minutes tops at the market, maybe five to talk to her mom..." he shook his head. "She should have been back by now."

He replayed the day in his mind, trying to figure out what could have gone wrong. Could someone have seen them enter the church during the night? No, they would have been apprehended long before Aeris got there in the morning. Did someone see them leaving the church? No, Zack was certain there had been no one in the area. Could Aeris have run into trouble on her way home? Possible, but he'd seen the staff she carried with her now. He doubted she'd lug it around unless she knew how to use it and any problems that she couldn't handle by herself would be dealt with by the Turks watching her...unless they weren't around. She did say they didn't watch her _all_ the time. Or, perhaps the problem _was_ the Turks? What if they had seen him at the church? No, the windows were too dirty to see through, the door was only opened when Aeris left and they'd spoken too quietly to be heard. Zack froze as something else occurred to him. Was the church bugged? How paranoid were the Turks, anyway? If they'd known he was there, they could have used that knowledge to force Aeris to come with them the moment she left. And she wouldn't have cried out for fear of Zack's safety...

Mind made up, Zack strode back over the Cloud and pulled him to his feet. He'd explain the situation to Elmyra and beg her to keep an eye on the blonde while he went to find Aeris. He had just pulled Cloud's arm over his shoulder when footsteps coming up the side of the house caught his attention. He tensed, wing flaring in preparation of a quick getaway when Aeris rounded the corner.

She stopped, blinking at the sight of him ready to take off. "Are you...having second thoughts?" she asked, confused.

Zack sagged in relief, silently berating himself for allowing his imagination to run wild. "Sorry," he apologized, folding his wing along his back. "You were taking so long I guess I let my paranoia get the best of me." He grinned awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head. "Habit from being on the run so long, I guess."

"I'm sorry," she apologized. "I got held up in the market. Mr. Pierce had some clothes he wanted mom to mend for him and it's a bit difficult to get away once he starts talking..." She shook her head. "Anyway, I talked to mom and she said you can stay here as long as you like," she continued, moving over and holding open the back door. "All the windows facing the driveway are always shuttered, so you don't have to worry about being seen."

Zack nodded, helping Cloud into the house. It was just as he remembered; a table sitting in the middle of the living room with a small kitchen off to the side. The staircase was at the back of the house, a modest couch sitting in front of it. If his memory served him correctly, upstairs had three small bedrooms side by side with a bathroom on the end. He couldn't help but smile at the potted flowers littering the counter tops and shelves. "Growing flowers outside wasn't enough for you?" he teased.

"Maybe I'm thinking of expanding my business," she countered coyly, closing the door behind them. "Now that I have a strong man to build me another flower wagon..."

Zack chuckled. "I'll build you as many as you want," he promised. "How'd you managed to break the last one, anyway?"

"Hm." Aeris put her finger on her chin in thought. "It must have been the poor workmanship."

"No way! I worked really hard to make it perfect!"

Aeris laughed, heading into the kitchen. "Don't worry, I'm sure you'll do better on the next one," she said, picking up a wooden spoon and stirring the pot simmering on the stove. "Mom's getting the guest room ready for you upstairs and dinner will be done soon. You may want to take a shower first, though."

"Oh, do I ever!" Zack agreed, smiling eagerly at the prospect. He honestly couldn't remember the last time he'd had a proper shower.

"Top of the stairs, first door on the left," Aeris said. "Do you need help with Cloud?"

"Nah, I got him. Cloud doesn't _like_ climbing stairs, but I can manage," Zack assured her.

Aeris nodded, picking up a cutting board with sliced vegetables on it and adding them to the pot. "This should be ready by the time you're done."

"Thanks," Zack said, heading up the stairs. He reached the top just as Elmyra came out of the guest room.

She hadn't changed much in the years Zack had been gone, a bit more gray streaking the light brown hair held back in a bun, a few more lines around her mouth and eyes. Her usual disapproving expression was lessened slightly, striving more for neutral although not quite managing it. Zack fought the urge to fidget as her hazel gaze wandered over them, taking in both Zack's wing and Cloud's limp form leaning heavily against him.

"Hello Zack," she greeted after a moment, her tone polite although she was careful to keep her thoughts off her face.

"Hello Ms. Gainsborough," Zack replied. "It's...been a while."

"Four years," she agreed. "Aeris explained what's going on. I've made up the guest room for you, although I'm afraid there's only one bed."

"That's alright. I've gotten used to sleeping on the ground."

Elmyra nodded, gesturing to the bathroom. "You can shower in here. I'll find some of my husband's old clothes for you to wear and leave them outside the door. Towels are under the sink."

"Thanks," Zack said, maneuvered Cloud into the bathroom and sitting him down on the toilet before closing the door. "No offense Spiky, but as I'm the one doing all the heavy lifting around here, I call the first shower." Quickly stripping out of his filthy clothes, Zack set a towel by the tub and turned on the water. He took a moment to study the bruises along his back- from crashing in the church -in the mirror, noting that they'd likely be gone in a day or two. "I guess that's one benefit from the labs," he muttered darkly as he climbed into the shower.

He couldn't stop the low moan of pleasure as hot water cascaded over his aching muscles and instantly banished all negative thoughts from his mind. He silently vowed never to take such simple things for granted again. Aware of what a luxury hot water was in the slums, he forced himself to wash quickly. After a brief debate about whether shampoo, conditioner or body wash would be best for feathers, he opted to simply skip the wing entirely. It was a relatively new addition, so he reasoned it hadn't had nearly as much time to get dirty as the rest of him. It was over all too soon, but he felt like a new man by the time he was done. Now, it was Cloud's turn.

Quickly drying off and wrapping the towel around his waist, he decided a bath would be best for the blonde. He put in the plug and turned on the water before stripping Cloud and helping him into the tub. A little disappointed once again at the lack of response, he put on a grin anyway as he grabbed a cup from the sink. "You'll feel a lot better after we get you cleaned up, Spiky, I promise you that," he said, tilting Cloud's head back and pouring water over his hair. "And, we even have a hot meal waiting for us afterward! It's gonna be great!"

Cloud's bath turned quickly into a rather frustrating affair, through no fault of the blonde's. Zack's wing seemed to be constantly in the way, knocking bottles into the tub, extra rolls of toilet paper onto the floor and even Cloud's head into the wall once, although not hard. Zack was about ready to cut the appendage off himself by the time he'd finished, trying to stand only to realize rather painfully he was stepping on the longest feathers along the wing's edge.

"Wings are _so_ not meant for indoors," he muttered vehemently through clenched teeth, his hand twitching toward his sword as he considered various violent ways to get rid of the appendage. Almost as if in response to his thoughts, the wing shriveled back to nothing in a flurry of feathers, withdrawing into his back. Zack let out a rather unmanly sound at the feeling of bones and muscle shifting and shrinking, an oddly malleable _something_ sliding beneath his skin and across his back. He couldn't help the shudder that ran up his spine, holding onto the side of the tub for another minute or two after everything had finished settling back into place.

There was a knock at the door. "Zack?" Aeris called. "Is everything alright in there?"

"Fine," Zack replied, his voice noticeably higher than usual. He cleared his throat and tried again. "We're almost done here." He almost sounded normal that time.

"Alright," Aeris replied hesitantly. "Well, mom left some clothes for you just outside the door and dinner's almost done, so just come down when you're ready."

"Thanks, Aeris." Zack listened as her footsteps retreated back down the stairs. Taking a deep breath, he stood and moved to the mirror. As expected, the wing had disappeared. There wasn't even so much as a mark where it had been, or anything to show where it had gone. "That is not okay on _so_ many levels," he whispered, staring over his shoulder at his reflection in the mirror. He shook his head sharply, cleaning up the mess of feathers now littering the bathroom and grabbing the clothes outside the door. Focus on the task at hand now. Freak out later.

It didn't take him too long to get them both dressed, although Cloud was noticeably more listless than before. "Come on, Spiky," Zack urged, walking them both out of the bathroom and toward the stairs. "I know the hot water was relaxing, but you can't go to sleep yet. I promised you a hot meal, remember?"

They made it to the bottom of the stairs as Aeris left the kitchen, carrying four bowls and spoons to the table. She couldn't hold back a grin at their new clothes. Cloud was dressed in plain blue jeans, worn but still in good repair and an old t-shirt, both of which fit him passably well. Zack's shirt, on the other hand, was a bit tight across the shoulders and the sweatpants he wore didn't reach much past mid-calf. "That's definitely a new look for you, Zack," she said, teasingly.

"Oh yeah, this is totally the fashion back home," Zack quipped, sitting Cloud in a chair at the table before striking a pose. "This time next month, everyone in Midgar will be proudly sporting high-waters!"

Aeris laughed before realizing something was missing. "Hey, what happened to your wing?"

Zack's smile cracked. "I...I don't know," he answered, his voice subdued. "One minute it was there and then it just..." He shuddered, closing his eyes. Just remembering the foreign sensations across his back made his skin crawl. He opened his eyes as he felt Aeris hand on his face.

"I'm sorry," she apologized. "I shouldn't have asked."

"No, no, it's fine," he assured her. "It's...just something I'm gonna have to get used to, I guess."

She gave him a smile and finished setting the table as Elmyra carried the pot of soup over from the kitchen. "Aeris, could you bring the rolls over?" she asked, her eyes settling briefly on Zack with an unreadable expression before she set the pot on the table. "And the butter as well?"

"Sure mom."

Zack gave himself a mental shake, pulling his mask back into place with an ease that belied how often he had hidden behind it. "Come on, Cloud," he said, sitting next to the blonde and shaking his shoulder as Elmyra starting filling the bowls. "You're not gonna want to miss this. That's right, open your eyes. Show me those big baby blues, there you go," he said encouragingly as blue eyes peeked sleepily out from beneath blonde lashes.

"Can your friend eat this?" Elmyra asked, studying the blonde. "Or would a bowl of broth be better?"

"He can eat it," Zack assured her, accepting the bowl and cutting the vegetables with the spoon. "He just can't have the big pieces. He doesn't always chew enough before trying to swallow."

Aeris and Elmyra took their seats, watching curiously as Zack scooped up a small piece of carrot with a bit of broth, blowing on it gently to cool it off. "Alright, Cloud. Open up," he said, running his thumb across the blonde's bottom lip until he opened his mouth. "That's right. Here it comes." Zack slid the spoon between his lips, a bit of the broth dribbling down his chin. "Oops, sorry about that," he apologized, grabbing a napkin to wipe it off. "My bad. Still, this was worth waking up for, right?" he asked, readying another spoonful.

Zack continued murmuring encouragements as he fed Cloud, keeping his tone light. Aeris bit her lip, tearing her gaze away from the pair and staring down at her own bowl. There was something very disturbing about watching a grown man being fed with the care and attention one would give a baby. It was difficult to watch, but part of her felt ashamed for turned away.

Elmyra set down her own spoon, wiping her lips with her napkin. "You should eat while it's still hot," she told Zack, pulling her chair over to Cloud. "I'll feed your friend."

"No, it's fine, I can do it."

" _Zack_." The ex-SOLDIER couldn't help but cringe slightly at the stern motherly tone in Elmyra's voice, the one that meant you-will-do-what-I-say-if-you-know-what's-good-for-you. "When was the last time you ate?"

"Um..." Zack actually had to think about it for a minute. "The day...before yesterday?"

Elmyra sighed, shaking her head. "Then you shouldn't let your first proper meal in two days spoil," she said, her tone brooking no argument as she held her hand out for the spoon. "Hand it over."

Properly cowed, Zack meekly handed it to her. He watched as she scooped up a small amount, opening his mouth to offer a bit of advice when he noticed her expression.

"Alright Cloud, here comes the next one," she said gently, her voice soothing in a way that only a mother's could be. Her usual severe expression was relaxed by a warm smile, hazel eyes softening as she helped the blonde. Zack had never seen Elmyra look so open and nurturing before.

Her gaze hardened slightly in disapproval as she shifted it back to him, looking pointedly at his own bowl. " _Eat_."

"Yes, ma'am!" Zack replied quickly, stifling the urge to salute. He half expected her to threaten to put him over her knee if he disobeyed.

Aeris ducked her head, hiding a smile.

 **. . .**

 **To Be Continued**

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	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

"I told you my mom would love him," Aeris said, turning down the blankets on the bed and stepping back.

"Yeah, you did. And, you were right," Zack replied, lying Cloud on the mattress. The ex-SOLDIER took a moment to straighten out the blonde's legs and moved his hands so they rested on his stomach before pulling the blanket over him. "It was just...weird. I've never seen her look so, I don't know, _nice_ before."

"Well, you didn't really get off on the right foot before- working for ShinRa and all," Aeris explained, rummaging around in the closet.

"And, now that I'm on their most wanted list, my very presence is putting you in danger. I can't say I blame her for not liking me much," Zack sighed. "Why did she agree to let us stay here again?"

"Because you needed help," Aeris stated simply, standing on her toes in an effort to reach the foam mattress on the top shelf.

Zack stepped up beside her, easily grabbing the pad and pulling it down. "That's it?" he asked, unrolling it on the floor. It barely fit between the bed and the desk.

"That's it," she confirmed, pulling out a sheet and spreading it over the foam pad. "What? Were you expecting her to be waiting to turn you over to ShinRa for a reward or something?" she asked, grabbing a pillow and tossing it to Zack.

He snorted, laying the pillow at the end of the mattress nearest the wall. "No. It's just..." He shook his head, running a hand through his hair. "I guess... After everything that's happened, I didn't really expect to find any altruistic people anywhere, much less in Midgar," he explained, taking the edges of a blanket from Aeris and helping her spread it over the sheet.

"That's just how mom is," Aeris said, smoothing out the blanket and shutting the closet door. "She could never turn away someone who needs help."

Zack sighed, plopping down on the newly made bed and leaning against the bedframe where Cloud slept. "What if you're beyond help?" he asked quietly, staring at the floor as he drew up one knee and rested his arm on it.

"I don't think you really believe Cloud's beyond help," she said, taking a seat next to him. "Otherwise, you wouldn't be trying to so hard."

"I...wasn't talking about Cloud."

Aeris was silent for a moment, remembering when Zack's carefree mask had cracked before dinner, allowing her a glimpse of the scared man hiding within. "I think," she said at last, "that if you decide you can't be helped, then nothing anyone can say or do will change that." She reached down, taking his free hand in hers. "But a friendly ear might help ease the burden."

Zack chewed on his lip as he debated whether or not he should tell her what was on his mind. On the one hand, he didn't want her to know the truth, to see how messed up he really was. On the other, she needed to be prepared in case his fears turned out to be justified. "...they call it degradation," he said after a long moment. "It's...well, deterioration of both the body and of the mind. It causes premature aging- white hair and gray skin -and the body becomes weak and brittle, susceptible injuries. The mind, well..." He took a deep breath, titling his head back to stare at the ceiling.

"I never knew Genesis, before he began to degrade, so I really can't say how he changed. But Angeal... Angeal was my mentor, in the SOLDIER program. Took me on as a student when I made Second Class and trained me for a year." Zack chuckled suddenly. "I've never had so many lectures about honor in my life," he said, smiling fondly at the memories. "'Embrace your dreams and, whatever happens, protect your honor as SOLDIER,'" Zack quoted, mimicking Angeal's deeper voice.

The smile fell from his face as he dropped his gaze. "We had a mission to Wutai. The mission was successful, but we got separated and Angeal disappeared. The next time I saw him, a month or two later, he was helping a scientist escape- one who was turning members of SOLDIER into Genesis-clones. When I asked him what he thought he was doing, he said world domination or revenge, calmly stating those were usually the goals of a _monster_." Zack shook his head in disgust.

"The Plate was still under construction at the time and he attacked me, throwing me back onto a weak section of grating. He didn't really hurt me, so I guess I thought I could get through to him; show him that he wasn't the monster he thought he was. Honor was far too important to him to attack someone who refused to defend themselves, or so I thought." Zack sighed. "The next attack was aimed at the grating beneath my feet. The entire section fell through, plummeting to the slums. That's actually when I fell through the roof of your church, back when we first met."

Aeris laid her head on his shoulder, silently urging him to continue.

"You remember that call I got? Sephiroth told me to get back to headquarters. Apparently, Genesis and his army of clones were attacking the ShinRa building. I met Angeal on my way there. He was talking about needing to protect his honor, no matter what, and asked me to join his fight. Said our enemy was 'all that creates suffering.'" Zack gave a bitter laugh. "I thought he was back to his usual self. After that, I didn't see him again for several months."

"The mission was in Modeoheim. Angeal was there, waiting for me. He had decided he was a monster again, and...he forced me to kill him."

Aeris let go of his hand, putting her arms around his shoulders and just holding him, as she had when he'd broken down and cried in the church years ago. He hadn't told her any particulars then, only that a close friend had died on his mission.

"He actually thanked me, can you believe it? As he lay dying on the floor, he _thanked_ me for ending his life and handed me the Buster sword, reminding me to protect my _honor_." Zack's voice was bitter as he glanced toward the huge sword leaning against the wall just inside the doorway. "How messed up in the head do you have to be to do all _that?_ "

Aeris was silent for a long moment. "Why did he think he was a monster?" she asked quietly.

"Because...a wing appeared on his back."

Her arms tightened around him, understanding his fears a little better now. "Do you think you're a monster?"

"No." There was no hesitation in Zack's answer. "I don't even know for sure if I'm degrading or not. My wing only showed up yesterday and my bruises are still healing, so I don't know what to think." He sighed again, shifting so he could slide his arm around Aeris' back. "I don't even know if the degradation will present the same way. Back at the very beginning of the SOLDIER program, two scientists were competing to see who could come up with the best way to create an enhanced soldier. Genesis and Angeal were both part of Project G. After Nibelheim, I'd say I fall under Project S. If degradation was the reason for Sephiroth's descent into madness..." Zack shook his head, haunted eyes staring at the wall.

"What did Sephiroth do?" Aeris asked softly. "The papers stated he was killed in action during a mission, but didn't give any details."

"He developed a god-complex, spouting some drivel about being chosen to rule the Planet as he burned down Nibelheim and murdered the townspeople," Zack said, his voice flat. "I couldn't do a single thing to stop him, either. That was all Cloud." Zack glanced over his shoulder at the comatose blonde asleep on the bed. "I'll admit, even I was kinda surprised the kid had it in him. Then again, Nibelheim was his home town."

"That's awful," Aeris breathed, also turning to look at Cloud. "To watch as everyone you love is destroyed..."

"It was pretty bad," Zack agreed. "He used to look up to Sephiroth, you know."

"Poor Cloud," Aeris said, shaking her head. "So, if Sephiroth was degrading...does that mean he had a wing too?"

"No. At least...not that he showed me," Zack said hesitantly. "Angeal and Genesis had been able to call forth and dismiss their wings at will. Sephiroth may have been capable of that too, for all I know, but I never saw him with a wing."

"Hm." Aeris wanted to ask if Zack had figured out how to dismiss his own wing, but decided the subject was still a little too raw. "So, you're worried that you might end up like Angeal and hurt those closest to you, or like Sephiroth and try to destroy everything?"

Zack let out a short, humorless laugh. "I guess that about sums it up, yeah."

"Well, it sounds like you need to put more stock in what those around you have to say," Aeris said.

Zack blinked. "What do you mean?" he asked, pulling back so he could look at her.

"You could see what was happening, right? That Angeal wasn't acting like himself, or Sephiroth? But they wouldn't listen to you." She gave him a sad smile. "You may not know how to stop the degradation or even if that's why you have the wing," she continued, rubbing one hand over his back, "but you know the signs to watch for. 'Forewarned is forearmed,' right? You just have to make sure you _listen_ to those around you."

Zack stared at her for several long seconds. Could it really be so simple? Somehow he doubted it. "So, I just need to wait and listen when you tell me I'm going crazy?" he asked, giving her a lazy smile to cover-up his misgivings.

"That's right!" Aeris agreed, nodding her head sharply. "Otherwise, I'll have to use my staff to beat some sense into you. I've gotten pretty good with it too, so don't go thinking I can't do it!"

Zack laughed as he pulled her into his arms, a cold pit settling in his stomach at the thought. If it came down to it, Zack would pick suicide via ShinRa rather than wait for his mind to be so far gone that he'd actually attack Aeris. A direct assault on the ShinRa building would probably be enough to take him down. If he started on the science floor, he'd almost be guaranteed to take out Hojo before they managed to kill him. Zack's smile took on a more sinister edge as he tightened his arms around Aeris.

In the meantime, he'd just have to rely on her to let him know if he had any drastic changes in personality or started acting strange. "I'll hold you to that."

 **. . .**

Zack woke to the sound of someone moving around just on the other side of the wall. He rose to his feet and crept silently to the door, one hand closing around the handle of the Buster sword as the other slowly turned the knob. Easing the door open carefully so as to not lose the element of surprise, he peered out into the dark hallway, his eyes scanning for any hostiles. He almost dropped his sword in surprise- fortunately still hidden inside the room -as Elmyra stepped out into the hall and turned on the light. Zack winced as the bright light hit his eyes, mentally berating himself for having forgotten he was no longer on the run. He didn't want to think about what might have happened had someone tried to come into the room and wake him up.

Elmyra blinked at him, faint surprise showing on her face. "You're up early, Zack," she commented.

"I...heard you moving around," he said. Her brow creased slightly in confusion. "SOLDIER hearing," he clarified, tapping his ears.

"Ah. Then I apologize for waking you," she replied.

"Nah, it's cool. I'll get used to it eventually," he said, shrugging it off. "Although..." He hesitated, looking away. "If you need me for something and think I may be asleep, don't come in. Just knock on the door until I answer, okay?"

Elmyra studied him for a moment, an unreadable expression crossing her face. "I understand. Thank you for the warning," she said, nodding to him. "If you'll excuse me, I need to get started on breakfast."

Zack retreated back into the room as she headed downstairs. He closed the door and leaned against it, blowing a few strands of hair out of his face. "Well, that was awkward," he muttered, picking up the blanket he'd slept with and folding it. "I honestly can't tell if she hates me, pities me or something else altogether, you know?" He put the blanket back in the closet, grabbing the sheet next. "Not that I can really blame her for that first one. Harboring a known fugitive is one thing. Letting a man into your home that might reflexively _kill_ you if you startle him is another matter entirely." He put the sheet and pillow back in the closet as well, rolling up the foam pad and sticking it in the corner between the bed and the wall. "There. Now we have room to walk in here again," he stated, turning to his companion.

"Still asleep, Cloud? Come on, you even got to bed early last night. Time to wake up," he said, shaking the blonde's shoulder. "I know we don't usually get to sleep for this long, but you haven't had an accident in the last couple months and I'd like to keep that record going for a little longer." Eyelids lifted sluggishly, revealing the drowsy blue orbs beneath. "There you go. Don't worry, you'll be able to get a nap later," Zack assured him, pulling the blonde to a sitting position before helping him to his feet. Cloud seemed to wake up a bit more after the first few faltering steps, managing to keep his feet underneath him all the way to the bathroom.

After they had finished, Zack led Cloud back to their room, settling him on the bed once more. "I'll talk to Aeris later, see if there's a chair we can put by the window so you can look at the flowers in the backyard," he said, ruffling the blonde spikes. "I'm sure it'll get boring staring at the wall all day."

Zack headed back to the bathroom, guiltily gathering the cast off clothing and armor he'd left in there the previous night. "Whew! No wonder Aeris wanted me to shower first last night! I'm surprised she let me get within ten feet of her, smelling like this!" he said, carrying everything back to his room. He dropped the boots to the side of the doorway, laying the shoulder guards, belts, harnesses and bangles on the desk before starting to empty his pants pockets.

Aeris knocked on the doorframe several minutes later. "Good morning, Zack," she greeted stepping into the room. "How did you sleep?"

"Hey, Aeris," Zack replied, favoring her with a smile. "It was the best night of sleep I've had in _years_."

She returned the smile, blinking as she just noticed the growing pile of materia, glass vials holding different colored liquids, bracelets, glowing rocks, feathers and an assortment of other odds and ends taking over the desktop. "What's all this?" she asked.

"Hm? Oh, this was the equipment I chose for my last mission, plus a few other things I picked up along the way," he explained. "I bet you never knew I was a bit of a hoarder, huh?"

"But...where did it all come from?" Aeris asked.

"I'm... _really_ bad about emptying out my pockets," Zack admitted, scratching the back of his head a bit self-consciously. "Every time I picked up my laundry, they'd have a box for me filled with the stuff I'd forgotten to take out."

"Zack, there is _no way_ all of this came out of your pockets."

"Not just mine," he agreed. "I filled Cloud's pockets, too. Figured he'd want some of his own stuff." When Aeris still didn't look convinced, he relented. "Standard issue SOLDIER pants. All but the high priority missions are solo and most SOLDIERS carry broadswords across their back, so they don't really have a place to carry a pack with their equipment and supplies. I don't really understand it, but the materia department came up with a way to fix that- something about conducive fabric and fixed spells, I don't really know. The basic gist is that everything that goes in is shrunk as long as it's inside the pocket. Taking it out automatically restores it to normal size," he explained, pulling out a handful of materia. "See? Simple."

"I don't think there's anything simple about it," Aeris stated, picking up a pale golden bracelet with three pairs of linked materia slots and turning it over in her hands. "That's incredible."

"Yeah, I guess so," Zack said, shrugging. "The novelty wears off pretty quickly- especially if you frequently forget which pocket you put your _keys_ in -but it's definitely handy to have."

Aeris laughed. "Only you could lose your keys _multiple_ times in your pockets," she teased, her eyes gleaming. "But, why do you have so many bracelets? I wouldn't have thought you'd be the type to accessorize before going off to fight..." she said, smiling sweetly.

Zack cringed, feeling his manhood might be at stake. "They're called _bangles_ ," he stressed. "Or armlets. The one in your hand may not look like much, but it helps protect you from attacks, both physical and magical. Again, don't ask it me how it works, but just wearing it is kind of like having weak Barrier and MBarrier up at the same time."

"You mean all these bracelets are like...armor?" she asked, a little skeptical.

"Of course! What did you think they were for?" he asked, craning his neck to look at her.

"Well..."

Zack saw the mischievous expression lighting her features and decided he didn't want to know. "Anyway, why don't you keep that one?" he said quickly, changing the subject as he nodded to the bangle in her hand. "It's actually one of the better pieces I have and I'd feel better knowing you had some sort of protection when I'm not with you."

"Oh no, I couldn't take this," Aeris said, shaking her head and replacing it on the table. "I never go into the really dangerous parts of the slums anyway."

"Aeris, you've taken to carrying a weapon around with you when you leave the house. We're beyond the 'it's not dangerous' speech. Besides, do you see this pile? It's not like I haven't got bangles to spare," Zack pointed out. "Please wear it. For my piece of mind, if nothing else."

"Alright, alright," she said, holding her hands up in surrender. "If it means that much to you, I'll wear it."

"Thank you," Zack said seriously before picking up the bangle in question and sifting through the pile of materia. "Now, let's see. Cura, definitely," he muttered, picking up a green materia and clicking it into one of the slots. "And Esuna. Maybe a Blizzard- no, we'll want Blizzara, no point in taking any chances with a base level spell. And Thundara, in case they happen to be protected against ice-type magic-"

"Zack, I don't need materia, really. I just use the staff for protection from any monsters I run across- I don't want to be a walking arsenal," she said patiently.

Zack just laughed. "You see this pile? _I'm_ the walking arsenal. _You_ are just going to be prepared," he said, picking up another materia and rolling it between his fingers contemplatively. "I think a Stop would be good- you should have at least one status spell. It can help you get away in case you _do_ run into something you can't handle." He clicked it into place and slipped the bangle around her wrist. "There. I even left one slot empty so you can't complain about having too much materia. And look, it even matches your bracelets."

Aeris chuckled, the materia sending a warm tingle down her arm as it settled against her skin. "It's lovely, Zack," she agreed, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Thank you."

"Hey, anything for my girl," he replied, grinning. "Although, I'd really like to get these clothes washed so I can changed back into something that _fits_."

"Unfortunately our washer broke several months ago and we haven't been able to get it repaired yet," Elmyra informed him from the doorway. She was carrying with a bowl of porridge and a cup with a straw on a tray, obviously meant for Cloud. "Aeris can show you where we wash our clothes after breakfast. I'll take care of Cloud while you two eat."

"You didn't need to do that, Ms. Gainsborough," Zack said, rising to his feet. "I could have brought Cloud downstairs."

Elmyra sighed. "Zack, if you're going to be staying here for a while, you may as well call me Elmyra. And while I agree that moving around is probably good for him, I don't think you need to make Cloud climb up and down the stairs every day."

Zack blinked, not having considered that point. "I guess you're right," he said, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Come on, Zack," Aeris said, grabbing his arm and pulling him to the door. "There's not enough room for four people in here. Let mom take care of Cloud."

"Thank you...Elmyra," Zack said haltingly. It felt wrong somehow to use her first name, but he didn't want to be disrespectful after she'd just asked him to do so.

Elmyra just nodded to him as he passed, carrying the tray in and setting it on the bed.

Zack let Aeris lead him downstairs, distractedly taking a seat as she dished some porridge for both of them. "What does your mom do for a living?" he asked as she handed him a bowl.

"She used to be a seamstress, but mostly just mends clothing or blankets these days," Aeris stated, sitting next to him.

"I don't suppose that brings in much money, huh?"

"We get by," Aeris said shrugging. "Besides, I have my flower business on the side, remember?"

Zack seriously doubted selling flowers for one gil each was doing much to supplement their income. He nodded sharply, coming to a decision. "Alright! Since Spiky and I are going to be staying here, I'm gonna have to start pulling our weight!"

"Oh?" Aeris asked, adding some sugar to her bowl. "Are you volunteering to be our housekeeper?"

"What? No way!" Zack exclaimed, hastily shaking his head. "I mean, I can help out with cleaning around the house if you want me to but... I'll be honest- cleaning was never my forte. My mom flat out _banned_ me from touching any cleaning products at home."

"Were you suggesting cooking, then?"

Zack laughed nervously. "That depends. How attached are you to _edible_ food?" he asked. "Because, frankly, you'd be _surprised_ at what you can live on..."

Aeris chuckled, stirring her porridge. "Surely you're not suggesting you take over the laundry..."

"Well, I'd like to fix the washer."

Aeris frowned. "I don't know, Zack," she said, hesitantly. "As I recall, you were much better at breaking machines than fixing them..."

"No, I mean _pay_ someone who's qualified to fix it," he explained, taking a bite of his porridge. He blinked down at his bowl, rolling the bite around his mouth contemplatively before reaching for the sugar. "It can be my first month's rent."

"That's a pretty expensive rent," Aeris stated. "Where are you going to get that kind of money?"

"How much are we talking about? Obviously I can't access my bank account without bringing ShinRa down on my head, but I have between 25,000 and 30,000 gil in my wallet right now. And you saw my collection upstairs- I can easily triple that if I fence even half of the bangles I've got." He sampled the porridge again, nodding his approval. "SOLDIERs may not have been paid as much as the Turks, but we got to kept most of the items we picked up on missions. And with my hoarding issues..."

"Zack, that's..." Aeris trailed off, just staring at him in surprise. "You don't have to do that."

"I know. You didn't have to take in me and Cloud, but you did," he countered, his expression serious. "Let me at least _try_ to pay you back."

"You..." Aeris laughed a bit breathlessly, shaking her head. "Thank you, Zack."

"You're welcome," Zack said, taking a bite of his porridge. "Besides, I don't think I'll be very good at washing clothes by hand, either."

 **. . .**

 **To Be Continued**

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	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Aeris headed to the church shortly after lunch. Zack waited ten minutes to make sure the Turks were gone before heading out to run some errands. He wore the freshly washed- and still somewhat damp -pants and turtleneck of his SOLDIER uniform, although the shoulder guards, harness and belt with the ShinRa logo on it were left behind. He also left his sword up in his room, trusting his skills in hand-to-hand combat would be sufficient if he ran into any problems. Although a sword was his weapon of choice, the Buster was too easily recognizable to carry out in the open.

Zack quickly made his way out of Sector 5, figuring it would be better if he was seen around there as little as possible. He passed through the old playground, running into a few monsters on the rubble-strewn path between the sectors, which he dispatched with ease. It didn't take him long to reach Sector 6, the colorful and bright signs everywhere a bit jarring after the dim yellow lights and drab shanties of the neighborhood near Aeris' house. He ducked his head a bit- knowing better than to be caught openly gawking -and shoved his hands in his pockets, being sure to keep one on his wallet at all times.

He stuck to the main road until he found what he was looking for: a pawn shop. Six more such shops later, Zack decided that he probably had more than enough to fix the washer- or just buy a new one. It turned out that he had grossly underestimated the worth of his collection, especially if the pawnbrokers were taking advantage of his ignorance.

A few inquiries pointed him in the direction of a weapon shop where he found a decent replacement for the Buster- a broadsword, similar to what he used when he first joined SOLDIER, and still in good repair. A second-hand shop tucked in a corner off the main thoroughfare provided a few changes of clothes for both him and Cloud, although he was guessing at the blonde's size. Feeling like it had been a rather productive afternoon, he reached for his phone to check the time only to find it wasn't there.

After a few frantic moments of searching through various pockets, Zack was forced to admit that he had lost it. He thought back over the shopping trip, trying to remember anytime someone may have 'accidentally' bumped into him, but came up blank. Breathing a curse, he headed back to an electronics shop he had seen earlier to purchase a new one. At least, he consoled himself, he had managed to hold onto his wallet.

He glanced at the clock on the wall as the clerk counted out his change, noting he had a little less than an hour before Aeris said she would start heading home. That gave him plenty of time to get there first.

Sliding his new phone into the pocket with his wallet- so he could protect them both at the same time -Zack turned and started heading back to Aeris' house. He hadn't gotten very far outside Sector 6 when he heard several guttural bellows just around the bend. He shifted his bags to his left hand, holding his sword at the ready in his right as he rounded the large pile of debris.

A cart seemed to have gotten stuck, the chocobo hitched to it alternately straining against its harnesses to escape and pecking at the monsters that ventured too close. A man was leaning against the side of the cart cradling one bleeding arm to his chest, a gun lying out of reach several feet away. Several monsters were circling him, blocking his access to the weapon.

The monsters looked like miniature versions of land worms, standing about two feet tall and maybe three and a half long. Their heads were mostly made up of a large mouth lined with teeth and long tails whipped back and forth behind them as they danced about their prey on four spindly legs, each tipped with a sharp claw.

Zack took in the scene with a glance, already halfway to the nearest monster before his bags hit the ground. He decapitated the two furthest back with one swing, launching himself over the group to land on the worm lunging toward the man. His heavy combat boot crushed its skull and a swift backswing as he landed took out the monster next it as well. The surprise attack sent the remaining three worms scuttling back to assess the new threat.

Zack followed their retreat, cleaving through all three before turning his attention to the chocobo. He raised his left hand, a materia in his bracer glowing as two lightning bolts shot out from his palm. The thundaga spell killed the last two worms instantly. A quick survey of the area revealed no more monsters so Zack took a few seconds to circle the cart, making sure none were hiding under or behind it either. Assured the area was clear, Zack walked back over the man who was now sitting on the ground.

"Thanks for your help, friend," the man said, gingerly moving his hand to survey his injury before closing his eyes and quickly replacing it.

"Not a problem- you looked like you could use it," Zack replied, squatting down in front of him. "Let me see," he said, gently pulling the hand away from the wound. "Nasty bite, but not too bad all things considered. Hold still." Another materia on his bracer glowed, a soft green light covering the gashes and knitting the skin back together until only pinkish scars remained.

The man breathed a sigh of relief as the pain disappeared, looking over the newly mended skin in surprise. "That's pretty impressive," he said, running his fingers over the scars. "Handy with a sword _and_ you know your way around materia. I've never been able to do much more than stop the bleeding myself."

"You probably just didn't have a high enough level materia," Zack said, standing and offering his hand.

The man took it, letting Zack pull him to his feet. "The name's Liam and I can't thank you enough for your help."

"Zack, and I just happened to be in the area," he said, waving it off. "I didn't realize monsters traveled in such large groups around here."

"They don't, generally speaking," Liam agreed, moving over to the chocobo. The bird had settled down once the monsters were taken care of, no longer pulling at the harnesses although its eyes were still darting around the area nervously. "One of the wheels broke and four whole eaters attacked while I was trying to change it. The other's showed up later," he explained, checking the chocobo for injuries.

"Whole eaters? Is that what they're called?"

"Yep. Not sure where the name came from 'cuz they like to tear their food apart first, but..." he shrugged, wiping a bit of monster blood from the bird's beak. "Camellia seems to be alright. Now, I just gotta finish changing the wheel. Hopefully Camellia didn't damage the axle too badly when she pull the cart off the jack."

"I don't know much about changing wheels and axles, but I can help you get it back up on the jack, if you want," Zack offered.

Liam shook his head. "I won't turn down the help, but while it might not look like much, this here cart's pretty heavy when it's empty, and right now it's got a full shipment. We're gonna need to find something to lever it up with first," he said, scanning the piles of rubble on either side of the path.

"Don't worry, I'm a lot stronger than I look," Zack assured him. "Just let me try to pick it up first," he continued when Liam looked rather skeptical.

"Alright, give it a try," Liam conceded, muttering something about hard-headed kids under his breath as he retrieved his gun.

Zack hid a smile as he crouched next to the cart, slipping his fingers underneath the frame. He took a deep breath and pulled, muscles straining against the wood. He felt the mako running through his body kick in, amplifying his strength a hundredfold, and he lifted the cart with only minimal difficulty. He glanced back over his shoulder. "See? No sweat."

Liam just stared, not quite believing what he was seeing.

"Well? You're not gonna make me hold this all day, are you? 'Cuz I kinda have somewhere I need to be..."

Liam jerked out of his stupor, stuttering an apology as he hastily set up the jack. Zack carefully eased the cart down on it, stepping back. "Need anything else?"

"No, I- I think I got it from here," Liam said, staring at Zack for a few seconds before realizing what he was doing. He quickly turned back to the cart, picking up the spare wheel and sliding it in place. "Thanks."

Zack left Liam to it, moving back to retrieve his bags. "Well, I guess I'll see you around," he said, waving a hand as he stepped past the cart.

"Wait a moment, Zack," Liam called. "You're new in town, right?"

Zack rubbed the back of his head, embarrassed. "Is it that obvious?" he asked.

"Well, I don't know a single person who would have jumped in to help like that- at least, not without demanding an arm and a leg as payment for services rendered afterward," he stated, his lips twisting wryly. "I'd like to offer you a job."

"What? Really?" Zack asked, surprised. He knew he'd have to find a job at some point, but he'd assumed it would have been a little more difficult than this.

"It's only temporary," Liam cautioned. "Jenson- the guy who usually takes care of the monsters I run into -broke his leg two weeks ago. I'd like you to fill his position for the next month or two- I make deliveries between the sectors on Mondays and Thursdays, if you're interested." He sighed. "I'm sorry I can't offer you anything permanent, but this should help you get started at least."

"Sounds great," Zack said, smiling. "When do I start?"

"Thursday morning. Give me your number and I'll call you with the details later," Liam said, pulling out his phone. "I hate to rush off, but I was already running late before the wheel went out."

They traded numbers and Liam slapped the reins against the chocobo's flank, promising to call either that night or the following day. Zack waved before turning and heading in the opposite direction. He glanced at the phone before putting it back in his pocket. "Did my good deed for the day and I'm not even running late! Oh, yeah!" he said, pumping a fist in the air. He had just enough time to make it home before the flower girl- provided he didn't run into any more distractions.

 **. . .**

Despite the disruption caused by his presence, Zack fell into an easy routine in the Gainsborough household. Monday through Friday he'd leave the house before dawn- before Aeris' watcher arrived -and either meet Liam in Sector 6 or worked on clearing out the seemingly endless number of monsters that congregated between all sector barriers. Monster hunting was little more than busy work with Zack's level of skill, but selling off various claws, fangs and other monster bits to the apothecaries in whatever sector he was closest to was a good way to supplement his income, as well as catch up on the latest gossip. It seemed that ShinRa hadn't yet started looking for them in the slums.

A month and a half passed relatively quietly, although Zack still had his guard up. He'd done what he could to help out around the house financially, but everything else went into a tin under his bed. After all, he never knew when he might be forced on the run again and nothing was quite as useful to a fugitive as cold hard cash.

Today he was helping Liam with deliveries in Sector 7, although the older man had regrettably informed Zack that this would be his last day. They pulled up in front of a two-story building with a wrap-around raised porch, "7th Heaven" painted on a sign next to the stairs. Zack kept an eye on the cart, and anyone getting too close it, as Liam climbed up the stairs.

"Delivery for Lockhart," he called, knocking on the battered door.

There was the sound of a dead bolt being pulled back before the door opened, revealing a young woman. She had dark brown hair pulled back in a ponytail that almost reached her knees and eyes to match. She was wearing a white tank top and a pair of black shorts held up by suspenders. A worn pair of hiking boots and matching leather gloves completed her ensemble. "It's about time," she stated, signing the clipboard Liam handed her before following him down the stairs. "This was supposed to be here yesterday."

"Sorry Tifa, but my paperwork states it was to be delivered today," he apologized, showing her the invoice.

Tifa sighed. "Fine, but I'm going to look over the shipment myself to make sure nothing's missing," she stated, climbing into the cart.

Zack narrowed his eyes, brow furrowing as he studied the brunette's profile. She looked so familiar, but he couldn't quite place where he'd seen her before...

"Alright, it's all here. Let's get it-" Tifa stopped, staring at Zack with wide eyes. "...inside."

"Do you two know each other?" Liam asked, his gazed flicking back and forth between the two.

Tifa jerked, shaking her head forcefully. "Never seen him before in my life," she hissed between clenched teeth, roughly grabbing a crate and taking it into the bar.

Zack blinked after her, a little confused by the negative reaction. Had he somehow wronged this girl in the past?

Liam just shrugged, picking up a box and carrying it inside. When Tifa returned for another one, she studiously avoided Zack's gaze, her stony expression daring him to say something so she could rip his head off. Zack wisely kept silent, opting to watch the locals lest the casual hand resting on his sword's hilt wasn't enough to keep them honest.

It didn't take long for Tifa and Liam to unload the cargo and soon they were on their way to the next stop. "So," Liam drawled, directing the chocobo to turn at the next street. "Old girlfriend?"

Zack shook his head. "No. I mean, I think I recognized her, but I can't remember where from," he said, shrugging. "No idea why she hates me."

"Hm. Well, seems she's content to ignore your existence," he commented lightly. "If I were in your shoes, I'd leave it alone. I hear she's the bartender _and_ the bouncer- not a woman you want to cross."

The rest of the deliveries were completed without any incidents, although the encounter with Tifa was niggling at the back of Zack's mind all day. They were passing through the park on their way back to the stables when a little girl laughing on the swing set caught his attention.

"Yay! Higher, papa, higher!" she cried, her father indulgently giving her another push.

Zack stopped, hearing a different voice in his mind as the memory finally came back to him.

 _"Papa..." a teenage girl cried, falling to her knees next to her father. She grabbed his shoulder to roll him over, headless of the blood staining her hands and skirt. "Did Sephiroth do this to you?" She froze as she saw the true extent of his injuries, his sightless eyes already glazed over in death. She wrapped her arms around herself, tears sliding down her cheeks. "Sephiroth...SOLDIER...Make Reactors...ShinRa..." She threw back her head and screamed. "I HATE THEM ALL!" She saw Sephiroth's sword, discarded at the base of the stairs. Without a second thought, she grabbed it and raced after him into the heart of the reactor, vengeance burning in her eyes._

"Hey, Zack! What's the hold up?"

Zack blinked, shaking his head to banish the memory. "What?" he asked, turning toward Liam. The man had stopped the cart at the exit of Sector 5 and was waiting for the ex-SOLDIER to catch up. "Oh, sorry," Zack apologized, jogging over to him.

"You alright? You look kinda dazed," Liam noted, slapping the reins against the chocobo's back.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Zack assured him, falling in step beside the cart. "I just...remembered where I knew Tifa from."

Liam raised an eyebrow. "You get her pregnant and then disappear?"

"What? No! What kind of guy do you think I am?"

"You're the one that was staring at a little girl, then suddenly proclaimed you remembered a woman who hates you," Liam pointed out, shrugging. "What else am I supposed to think?"

Zack chuckled. "Alright, I see your point," he conceded. "But no, that's not it. Besides, I already told you she wasn't an ex-girlfriend."

"Ah, I keep forgetting you're a country boy," Liam said, lips quirking in a teasing smile. "Hasn't anyone told you about the main income in Wall Market?"

Zack really didn't want an explanation of the red light district. "Just drop it, alright?" he pleaded.

Liam chuckled, turning his attention back to the road.

Zack kept an ear out for monsters- or thieves -while his mind wandered back to Tifa. He felt he should talk to her again, but really had no idea what he would say. Sorry Sephiroth murdered your father and burned down your town? He had a feeling she'd punch him before he could even finish the sentence. Everyone she had even known and loved had been taken away in one night.

No, Zack realized. Not everyone. Cloud was from Nibelheim too. The blonde had been reticent when Zack had asked him about Tifa, but the ex-SOLDIER could tell there was some sort of relationship there. If he could give his opinion, Zack knew Cloud would be completely against letting Tifa know about his aliment. On the other hand, she might be the push Cloud needed to free his mind from the mako-induced mire it was stuck in. It might not be respecting his friend's wishes, but Zack figured he could apologize once the blonde was out of his comatose state.

It didn't take them long to reach the stables and Zack opened the barn door as Liam parked the cart inside. "I need to talk to Tifa," Zack stated.

Liam glanced up from where he was unhitching the chocobo. "You sure that's a good idea?" he asked.

"No," Zack admitted, "but it's something that I gotta do. 7th Heaven, right?"

"Yeah, that's her place." Liam hung the tack on the wall, leading the chocobo to her stall. "Your final check," he said, pulling out his wallet and counting out Zack's pay. "It was a pleasure working with you, Zack. I'm just sorry I couldn't keep you on full-time."

"That's alright, I appreciate you taking me on for as long as you did," Zack said, shaking his hand.

"Oh, I found this the other day," Liam said, pulling a green materia out of his pocket and tossing it to Zack. "I don't know if it works- couldn't get it to do anything myself -but figured you might find it useful."

Zack rolled the materia between his fingers, brow furrowing slightly. "It's...Mini? Can't say I've heard of that spell before," he commented, slipping the green orb into his pocket. "Thanks. I'll have to try it out sometime, see what it does."

"Good luck. I'll see you around."

"Thanks. You too," Zack said, waving as he saw himself out.

The return trip to Sector 7 seemed to take both forever (giving Zack far too long to consider all the ways this go wrong) and no time at all (as he still hadn't figured out what he was going to say by the time he arrived). The building loomed in front of him, neon signs looking more forbidding than they had any right to. Zack gave himself a mental shake, cursing his overactive imagination as he took a deep breath and headed inside.

The bar looked a lot smaller on the inside, tables and chairs strewn almost haphazardly about the room. An old pinball machine was off to the side, the plastic covering shattered and missing a handle. Tifa stood behind the bar, washing cups in the sink. She looked up as he entered, a scowl settling over her features. "What do you want?" she asked.

"We need to talk," Zack said, taking a seat at the bar.

"I have nothing to say to you," Tifa said, scrubbing the cups a bit more viciously than necessary.

"Will you hear me out, at least?"

"I'm busy."

Zack raised an eyebrow, gazing around at the empty interior. "I...guess I could wait until closing," he said hesitantly.

Tifa sighed angrily, tossing her dish rag into the sink. "Say your piece and get out of here," she ground out. "I don't need a SOLDIER in here, scaring off my customers.

"Ex-SOLDIER," Zack corrected.

Tifa snorted, folding her arms impatiently.

"Right. Well, when we... I mean, back then... Um..." Zack trailed off, scratching his head as he tried to figure out where to start. Tifa's scowl deepened. "Do you know Cloud Strife?" he asked, deciding that was as good a starting place as any.

"Cloud?" Tifa asked, her face clearing in surprise. "What about Cloud?" she asked, suspicion settling over her features.

"I knew there was something going on between you two," Zack said, smiling. "When I asked Cloud about you, he got real cagey and wouldn't look me, so I figured it was unrequited, but..."

"What about Cloud?" Tifa repeated, her tone hard. "How do _you_ know him?"

"We're friends."

"Really? Did you tell your _friend_ that you were involved in the _massacre_ of his hometown?" she asked scathingly.

"That's not fair, Tifa. I did _everything_ I could to stop Sephiroth," Zack stated, his voice low. "And I didn't have to tell Cloud what happened because he was there."

"You're lying." Tifa put her hands on the bar, leaning forward. "Cloud wasn't there. I'd heard ShinRa was sending SOLDIERs to take care of the monster problem, and I waited at the town entrance until you arrived. You and _Sephiroth_ were the only SOLDIERs in the group. _Cloud wasn't there_."

Zack blinked. "Cloud wasn't SOLDIER," he said slowly. "I mean, he was trying to get into program, but he was still a trooper."

Tifa just stared at him. "He was... Then he didn't..." She shook her head, dropping her gaze to the counter. "Why didn't he say something...?" she whispered.

"I don't know. I know he wasn't too happy to go back there. He only took his helmet off in our room at the inn. He was the one you practically carried down the mountain, after the Genesis clones attacked," Zack stated.

Tifa took a deep breath, closing her eyes. "Say I believe you. Why tell me this now?"

"Aside from the fact that I just found out you're alive?" Zack asked. She gave him a glare hot enough to melt steel and he relented. "It's Cloud. He's...not well. I think you meant a lot to him and I'm hoping that a visit from you might help snap him out of it."

"Cloud's here?" she asked, taken back. "In Midgar?"

"Yeah, we've got a place we're staying at in Sector 5."

Tifa hesitated. "What do you mean by 'not well?' Has he started drinking or doing recreational drugs?"

Zack chuckled humorlessly. "If only it was something so simple," he muttered shaking his head. "He's...got mako poisoning, pretty bad case I'd say."

"Bad enough that I have to follow you to wherever it is you two are staying, right?"

Zack raised an eyebrow at her tone. "Well, I guess I could bring him out to meet you somewhere, but it would be much easier for you to come to him," he said hesitantly.

Tifa fished the rag out of the sink and continued washing the cups. "I'll be honest with you, Zack. After Nibelheim was burned to the ground and ShinRa covered it up, making Sephiroth into some type of _hero_ , I came to Midgar looking for Cloud. No one at ShinRa would tell me anything, not even if he was actually working for them or not. Now, five years later, you appear on my doorstep claiming you're no longer with ShinRa and that I need to travel with you to an undisclosed location to see Cloud." She shook her head, smiling bitterly into the sink. "I've been living in the slums for four years. I'm no longer the naive little girl that guided you to the reactor in Nibelheim." She looked up, challenging him with her gaze. "You want to make me disappear, you'll have to fight me head on."

Zack just blinked at her. Thinking back over his proposal, even he had to admit it did kind of sound like a trap. Unfortunately, it was also all true. "I know my word isn't worth much," he stated. "But I swear, I'm the telling the truth. If you don't believe me... Just say the word and I'll never bother you again."

Tifa didn't reply, her expression unreadable as she focused the sink.

The door opened and a big burly black man with gun grafted onto his right arm walked into the bar. He glanced at Tifa, taking in her tense posture and jerky movements as she washed cups before narrowing his eyes at Zack's back, moving over to take a seat two chairs down from him.

Unwilling to discuss this with someone else nearby, Zack snagged a pen from the cup by the registered and a napkin. "Think about it," he told her, writing down his number and setting the napkin near her. "Call me tomorrow if you change your mind."

Tifa didn't reply or glance up as Zack left, shutting the door behind him.

"That guy giving you trouble?" the man asked, staring after the ex-SOLDIER.

Tifa sighed, shaking her head as she dried her hand on a towel. She picked up the napkin, staring at the number as if doing so would unlock its secrets. "I just don't know who to believe anymore, Barret."

 **. . .**

 **To Be Continued**

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	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Zack sat on a bench in the old playground on the edge of Sector 5. Tifa had called that morning, agreeing to follow him to wherever Cloud was. She also threatened to beat the living daylights out of him if he 'tried anything,' stating that her martial arts had greatly improved in the years since they'd last met. They had agreed to meet at 2:00 pm in a neutral location.

Zack had arrived at the park a little before two o'clock, just in case Tifa showed up early. By the time two came around, the ex-SOLDIER decided to stave off boredom by trying out the materia Liam had given him. Turns out that the spell Mini did just that- shrunk things to about a twelfth of their original size. Casting the spell again returned them to their normal size and he'd had a bit of fun shrinking various pieces of playground equipment. Unfortunately, it wasn't long before the novelty wore off and he was bored once again.

Zack leaned forward on the bench, his leg bouncing in place as he pulled out his phone. The glowing display read 2:18. Never having been one of the most punctual of people himself, he really couldn't complain that Tifa was late. On the other hand, patience had never been one of his strong suits.

He considered calling the bar again, as no one had answered the first time, when the tall steel gates leading to the train station opened and Tifa walked out. Her eyes swept the area, cataloging all the exits and people- or lack thereof -in the vicinity before settling on Zack.

"I was beginning to think you weren't gonna show," Zack admitted, standing as she neared him.

"The train doesn't stop at this station until 2:15," she pointed out. "I thought you'd know that."

Zack blinked. "Oh," he said, scratching the back of his head. "I...never take the train."

Tifa gave him an odd look, a cross between suspicious and skeptical before shaking her head. "Never mind. Where are we going?"

"This way," Zack said. He started walking, Tifa falling in step beside him. "Uh, before we get there," he started, glancing sidelong at her. "How much do you know about mako poisoning?"

"Nothing."

"I didn't think so," Zack sighed. "Well, as far as I can tell, mako poisoning affects the mind. Physically, there's nothing wrong with him but... It's like he's just he's not there mentally. The light's on, but nobody's home."

Tifa was silent for a long moment. "Doesn't ShinRa have facilities to treat it? I mean, this can't be the first time someone's got mako poisoning, right?" she asked.

"I don't know. They might," Zack allowed. "Personally, I think they'd just turn the poor soul over the science department," he stated bitterly, before shaking his head. "The bottom line, ShinRa's after us. Any _help_ they're willing to provide won't be much more than a bullet through the skull at this point."

"Why are they after you?" Tifa asked as they entered the residential area. "How did Cloud get mako poisoning in the first place?"

"Not here," Zack said, lowering his voice as he quickened his pace. "If ShinRa has eyes and ears anywhere in the slums, it'll be in his neighborhood."

Tifa gave him an incredulous look, but held her peace. What was so important about this area that it caught ShinRa's attention? And if Zack really was hiding from ShinRa why would he choose to live here?

Zack led her to a winding path tucked back in a corner of the neighborhood and Tifa tensed, her instincts telling her to be wary. It was secluded and out of the way- a perfect place for an ambush. Leather creaked as she clenched her fist, raising her arms in a defensive position as she rounded the bend. The last thing she expected to find was a freshly painted two-story cottage with a white picket fence surrounding the huge flower garden off to the side.

"Here we are," Zack said, sweeping his arm to indicate the area. "Home, sweet home." He paused, noting her raised fists. "Uh, why do you look like you're ready to kick my butt?"

Tifa quickly folded her arms across her chest, adopting a neutral expression. "It's nothing," she said defensively.

Zack quirked an eyebrow before he shrugged, letting the matter drop. "He's inside," he said, heading toward the house.

Tifa followed, her eyes lingering on the numerous flowers flourishing in the garden. Flowers in Midgar were a rare sight.

Zack opened the door and stepped inside, holding it open for Tifa as well. "Elmyra?" he called, glancing into the kitchen.

"Up here," came the faint reply.

Zack climbed up the staircase, not surprised to find Elmyra sitting with Cloud as she mended clothing.

Elmyra looked up as they stopped in the doorway. "I was beginning to think you'd gotten lost, Zack," she said, a faint smile on her lips. "And you must be Tifa. I'm Elmyra. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"I didn't realize she'd take the train- apparently doesn't arrive until 2:15," Zack explained. He winced as Elmyra's expression turned to one of disapproval.

"Were you really expecting that poor girl to walk all the way from Sector 7?" she asked.

Zack scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. "I didn't really think about it," he admitted. "I mean, I can't use the trains, so it's easy to forget they're there, you know?"

"I suppose that's true," Elmyra conceded, glancing at Tifa. The young woman was standing in the doorway, simply staring at Cloud. "Anyway," Elmyra continued, gathering up her sewing equipment. "Tifa didn't come to listen to us, Zack. Let's give them a few moments."

Zack nodded, following Elmyra as she left the room. He paused at the head of the stairs, noting Tifa hadn't made any move to enter the room. "Tifa? I know how difficult it is- to see him like this. Do you want me to stay?" he offered.

"I-" Tifa shook her head, finally tearing her gaze away from the blonde. "I'll be fine. Thanks, Zack," she said, giving him a shaky smile.

Zack nodded, disappearing down the stairs.

Tifa turned back to the room, taking a deep breath as she stepped inside. She took Elmyra's seat, studying the blonde's profile. Cloud looked almost exactly as she remembered. His hair was shorter, although it still stuck up in a bunch of unruly spikes and his features were more defined, the last remnants of baby fat long since faded away. His eyes, though vacantly staring out the window, now shown with an inner glow of their own.

"Oh Cloud," Tifa breathed, her heart clenching at the sight of her childhood friend. "What happened to you?"

 **. . .**

Zack was sitting at the table, wiping the excess oil from his blade with a clean cloth when Tifa finally came back down the stairs. Her slow gait and heavy steps told him all he needed to know. "I guess it was too much to hope for- that seeing you might bring him back," he said softly, keeping his gaze on the sword.

Tifa was silent for a long moment, listening to Elmyra moving about in the kitchen while her eyes followed the repetitive strokes of Zack's arm. "What happened?" she asked, her gaze moving up to Zack's face. "To Cloud? Why is ShinRa after him?"

Zack paused, his hand stopping mid-motion on his sword. "What do you remember?" he countered. "From Nibelheim?"

"...the reactor," she said quietly. "Sephiroth murdered my father and badly injured me when I challenged him. You came and then..." She shrugged, her fingers idly tracing a pattern on the tablecloth. "I woke up in a clinic in a different town, with no idea how I got there."

Zack nodded, continuing to run the cloth down the blade. "I fought with Sephiroth and lost," he stated, keeping his tone even. "Cloud came in afterward, freaked when he found you and headed in after Sephiroth. I honestly don't know how he did it, but Cloud won. He was injured pretty badly, though." Zack scowled darkly, his eyes glowing brightly in response to his anger. "We were both written off by ShinRa, listed as KIA and turned over to the science department," he spat, rubbing the blade almost viciously. "I finally managed to get us both out of there about a year ago, but..." He shook his head, his gaze wandering to the stairs. "There hasn't been any change since then."

Tifa looked understandably horrified. She'd known that ShinRa was practically the embodiment of everything evil in the world, but to hold two of their own prisoner for four years... No, she realized, her gaze also sliding to the staircase. They weren't prisoners. They were _experiments_. "What do they _do_ to you?" she breathed.

Zack dropped his eyes, remembering the feeling of the wing bursting from his body and, even worse, withdrawing back into his flesh. "I...I'm sorry, Tifa," he said, his voice low. "I'm not- I can't talk about it, not yet."

Tifa's eyes widened, realizing what she had just asked. "I'm sorry," she apologized hastily. "I didn't mean- I was just- Cloud is-"

"It's fine," Zack said, waving off her apology and forcing a smile. "I get it. You want to know what happened to him." The smile fell from his face as he turned his attention back to his sword. "We...had different reactions to the procedures," he stated hesitantly. "But Cloud has all the symptoms of mako poisoning, so I just assumed that's what's wrong with him."

They sat in silence for a few moments, each lost in their own thoughts. "I hate ShinRa," Tifa stated, glaring down at the table. "Just when I think they can't get any worse..."

Zack laughed humorlessly. "You find out you've only just scratched the surface," he agreed, standing and leaning his sword against the wall next to the door. "Still, not much we can do about it. They're the government and military all rolled into one."

"What if there was?" Tifa asked contemplatively. "Some way to make them pay for what they've done, I mean."

"Like that terrorist group that was running around a while back? What was their name... AVALANCHE, that's right," Zack said, nodding. "Are they even still around?"

"I don't know," Tifa answered honestly. "There's graffiti about them all over the place, but I don't know how long it's been there."

"So, you wanna become a terrorist then?"

Tifa sighed. "I don't know," she admitted. "But I feel like I need to be doing _something_ other than just sitting here and letting them do whatever they please."

"I understand where you're coming from, believe me," Zack said, moving over and laying a hand on her shoulder. "And, if it was just me, I'd be sorely tempted to join you. But, I can't afford to be that selfish. Cloud doesn't have anyone else to depend on."

There was the sound of someone pointedly clearing her throat in the kitchen.

"Sorry, Elmyra," Zack apologized. "You and Aeris have been a _huge_ help since we got here, but you know I would take Cloud and run again in a heartbeat if I thought you two were in danger because of us."

"Then perhaps I don't know you as well as I thought," she stated, carrying two cups of tea over to the table. "Aeris waited for you for years, always believing you'd come back one day. I'm surprised you'd consider abandoning her, especially without any warning."

"To _protect_ her," Zack stressed, accepting a cup. "To keep her out of ShinRa's hands and away from Hojo."

"And if she wanted to come with you?" Elmyra pressed.

Zack shook his head. "It'd be too dangerous. A life on the run is no way to live. Trust me," he said.

Elmyra shook her head. "She's a grown woman, Zack," she pointed out, handing the other cup to Tifa. "She can decide what's too dangerous for herself." She gave Zack a piercing look, her eyes hardening. "Aeris would be devastated if you vanished in the night and I, at least, would _never_ forgive you."

"Alright, alright," Zack said, hands raised in surrender. "I promise I won't leave without telling you guys first."

Elmyra studied him for a few seconds before nodding. "See that you don't," she said, turning and heading back to the kitchen.

"That woman can be _scary!_ " he confided to Tifa in a loud whisper. "Seriously though, I can't join any terrorist cell you create, but I'll be around if you need some hired help." He struck a pose, flexing his muscles. "After all, I used to be SOLDIER First Class!"

Tifa laughed. "I'll keep that in mind."

 **. . .**

The next few weeks passed leisurely as Zack continued to seek out his niche in the slums. He couldn't find any steady work, although he picked up plenty of odd jobs here and there- mostly impromptu deliveries from businesses that recognized him from his time under Liam. Tifa called to check on Cloud regularly, stopping by once or twice a week as time permitted. Cloud still showed no change at all. Zack was just thinking his life was about as normal as it was going to get when he got the call.

He had been out monster hunting and was currently engaging a rogue robot. This type had originally been engineered to eliminate monsters in the slums but a malfunction- or perhaps it was on purpose, Zack wouldn't put anything past ShinRa -in its programming caused it to attack most anything that moved. The main engine was balanced on two rather spindly legs for its size, although the massive cone-shaped 'feet' could easily crush Zack if it landed on him. Two machine guns had been attached as its 'arms' and it alternated between firing bullets and spewing a noxious cloud of exhaust fumes in an effort to either poison or blind him.

He flipped back away from the cloud of smoke as his phone rang, pulling it out with his free hand and thumbing it open. "Hello?" he asked, darting around the dispersing cloud and hacking at the wires on its arm.

"Hey Zack. It's Tifa."

"What can I do for you?" he asked, rolling around to the machine's back as it fired its guns where he'd just been standing. A well-placed blow to the exposed ankle joint took one leg out from underneath it, effectively ending the fight as it crashed to the ground. The robot could only attack from the front and, with only one leg, it had lost all mobility.

"Was that gun fire? Are you alright?" Tifa asked, sounding worried.

Zack just laughed, plunging his sword into its 'head' and destroying the core. "Did you forget who you're talking to, Tifa? A mere Sweeper doesn't even make me break a sweat! Seriously, ShinRa's weapons division has gone down the drain or something because I remember testing these things when they were still in development as anti-AVALANCHE- or was it anti-Genesis? I tested so many, I can never remember which was for which." He shrugged, even though he knew she couldn't see him and pulled his sword out with a jarring shriek of metal, sliding it into the harness on his back. "Anyway, the point is, I actually had a difficult time taking out those ones- more than once only winning by the skin of my teeth. These are just someone's idea of a bad joke." He left the wrecked machine behind him, continuing down the path as he idly scanned the area for more monsters.

"I'll take your word for it," Tifa said, not mentioning that she'd had some difficulty against them herself. "Anyway, I was calling you about a job."

"Oh yeah? You tired of people fighting just so you'll come and break it up?" Zack asked, grinning.

"Funny," Tifa said dryly. "But no. Remember that terrorist cell we had talked about?"

Zack stopped walking, giving the phone his undivided attention. "You've already gathered a group of activists?" he asked, surprised. "What'd you do- put up signs?"

"I didn't find them- they found me."

Zack was silent for a moment. "What's the job?" he asked.

"Stop by the bar and Barret'll give you the details."

"I'm on my way. I'm between Sectors 1 and 8, so it shouldn't take me more than an hour and a half, two hours tops to get there."

"I'll let him know." There was a _click_ as Tifa hung up.

He stared at the phone for a few second before slipping it back into his pocket. Shrugging, he turned around and headed back toward Sector 8.

 **. . .**

 **To Be Continued**

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	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

It ended up taking him just under two hours to reach the bar and he was glad to note it was just as empty as the time he'd been there before. Tifa was straightening chairs and filling the bowls on the tables with nuts, smiling at him when he walked in. She motioned him to a corner table where the same man with the gunarm he'd seen last time was sitting. He was wearing a dirty brown vest, left open in the front with the sleeves torn off and dark green cargo pants. His head was shaved around the sides and back, with a shock of black hair cropped close to his scalp on top. He had a full beard and mustache, also neatly trimmed, with two thin scars under his right eye that disappeared into his beard. He was a bit on the heavy set side, although Zack could see it was almost pure muscle. The ex-SOLDIER almost wanted to ask if the flaming skull tattooed on his bicep moved when he flexed, but managed to keep the question to himself. If the glower was any indication, this man didn't like him already.

"Zack, this is Barret," Tifa introduced them, taking a seat next to burly man. "Barret, he's the friend I told you about."

"Heard you was a SOLDIER," Barret said, openly looking Zack up and down. "You don't look that tough to me."

"Ex-SOLDIER," Zack corrected, giving the gunman a somewhat forced smile. He could already tell working with Barret wasn't going to be fun. "I heard you had a job for me."

"Maybe."

Zack blinked. "Isn't that more of a 'yes or no' question? How can you 'maybe' have a job for me?"

"You got a problem with fighin' ShinRa?"

Zack snorted. "I wouldn't have come all the way down here when Tifa said 'terrorist cell' if I did," he stated.

"You've got a smart mouth on you, boy," Barret said, eyes narrowing.

"Call it a character flaw," Zack replied, grinning. "I like to speak my mind."

"I'd watch it, if I were you- might get into trouble someday."

"I've been alright so far."

"Cocky bastard, ain'tcha?" Barret grunted.

Tifa could tell this was going nowhere fast. "Tell him about the job," she said.

Barret scowled. "I don't trust him."

There was a loud _smack_ of a boot connecting with flesh under the table and Zack winced in sympathy. To his credit, Barret didn't make a sound. He turned his smoldering gaze on Tifa.

"We already went over this before I called Zack," she pointed out angrily. "You said we really needed the help, I vouched for him and you agreed to give him a chance."

Barret dropped his gaze to the table, muttering a few expletives under his breath. "We're gonna blow up one of the reactors," he said, glaring at Zack. "You okay wit' that?"

Zack leaned back, folding his arms pensively. "I'll help, but only if we do it at night. There'll be fewer casualties that way."

Barret's gaze darkened. "We're _trying_ to hurt that ShinRa scum," he said heatedly.

"I'm all for hurting the corporation," Zack agreed. "But a lot of the people that work for them- janitors, maintenance workers, secretaries -they're just innocent people doing the best they can. ShinRa provides a lot of jobs for the middle class and I don't think they should be punished just for trying to earn a living," he stated, his gaze hard. "And, that's not counting the fallout of an explosion to the business sector just outside the reactor."

Barret was grudgingly forced to admit Zack had a valid point. "What about the guards?" he pointed out. "They're just more of your middle class trying to earn a livin'. You gonna have a problem wit' us killin' _them?_ " he asked.

Zack's expression didn't change. "When you sign up with the army, you know your life will be on the line every time you fight. They should be prepared for the consequences of that choice."

Barret raised an eyebrow in faint approval. "Huh. I might learn to like you yet, Whitey," he said, his lips quirking in an almost-smile.

 **. . .**

The train hurtled along its tracks toward its destination, its whistle piercing the night air. Brakes screeched as it neared the station, finally coming to a stop at the end of the line. Zack didn't wait for it to stop completely, leaping off and taking out the startled guard before he knew what hit him. Bringing his sword up, he turned to face the guard at the other end of the platform only to find a man in green army fatigues with a red headband tied around his forehead had already beaten him to the punch. Nodding at Biggs, Zack turned and signaled 'all clear.' He didn't wait for the remaining three members of the team to disembark before turning and following Biggs up the stairs to street level.

They came to a crossroads, the path ahead of them blocked by a thick steel gate lit by a lone streetlight. Biggs automatically moved to guard the road leading to the left while Zack took the right, sticking to the shadows. Barret and two more hurried toward the locked gate, the burly gunman saying something about not moving around in a group while a woman examined the access panel with a practiced eye. She had long light brown hair pulled up in a ponytail and was wearing a navy blue shirt under her breastplate and shoulder guards with a pair of khaki shorts and running shoes. Zack had been told Jesse was their expert when it came to anything electronic, from fake IDs to coded door locks. From the way she was confidently re-wiring the panel, Zack didn't see any reason to disagree.

The last member of the group was the only one who really looked like he didn't belong. A bit on the portly side, Wedge was standing near the center of their group, hands clutching the machine gun like a lifeline as he anxiously glanced down the street. He was wearing a pale yellow shirt with blue pants, a red bandana covering his dark brown hair and was shifting his weight from one foot to the other nervously. He jumped when Jesse's voice broke the silence.

"I've got it," she said, quickly gathering her gear as the gate slid open.

Biggs and Zack took the lead again, running ahead to clear the way for the others. The road turned to the left and the ex-SOLDIER stole quietly to the edge of the building, carefully peering around the corner. He was surprised to see a lone trooper walking the patrol route with a guard hound at his side. He hadn't realized ShinRa had been successful in training monsters to support their troops. Spying the shock collar and corresponding remote on the trooper's belt, Zack revised his opinion. It seemed ShinRa had been _mostly_ successful in training monsters not to attack whoever had the remote.

Taking a deep breath, Zack turned the corner and burst into action. He could feel the mako singing in his veins as he sprinted forward, almost moving faster than the eye could see. The guard hound reacted faster than his handler, hunkering down and baring its teeth as it prepared to lunge. Zack's materia glowed with barely a thought, a thick ice crystal literally freezing the monster in place. The trooper barely had time to widen his eyes before Zack's sword had plunged through his heart. As he fell to the ground, Zack spun and kicked the ice hard, shattering it and killing the guard hound instantly.

"Pretty impressive skills," Biggs said, running to catch up. "I know Barret said you were ex-SOLDIER, but...wow."

"This? This was nothing," Zack said easily, wiping his sword on the fallen trooper's uniform. "Come on, let's keep going."

It didn't take them long to reach the reactor core, members breaking off one by one to guard their retreat until it was just Barret and Zack left. They finally made it down to a wide catwalk, the glowing mako far below it casting the room in an eerie green.

The gunman pushed the bomb into Zack's arms, gesturing at the control panel at the end of the catwalk. "You set the bomb."

"Me?" Zack asked, a bit startled. "I don't know anything about explosives! You do it!" he insisted, trying to hand it back.

"I gotta make sure you don't pull nothin'."

"Seriously? We're in the heart of the reactor, about to blow it sky high! What do you _honestly_ think I'm gonna do? We killed all the guards on the way in here!" Zack exclaimed, gesturing back the way they'd come.

"Jus' do it!"

"Fine!" Zack grudgingly took the bomb, grumbling under his breath as he stomped over to the control panel. He wedged the explosive under a valve shut off handle, hoping it didn't actually have to be wired into anything. "How do I turn it on?" he asked.

"There's a switch on the side."

Zack found it and flipped it. "There," he said, turning around. "Anything else?"

Loud alarms started blaring, red lights flashing along the roof. Both men clapped their hands over their ears.

"What'd you do!" Barret yelled, running for the exit.

"Don't blame me! I _told_ you I didn't know what I was doing!" Zack shouted back. He skidded to a stop as an odd shadow pattern caught his attention, jumping backward as a large robot landed where he'd just been on the walkway.

Feeling the tremor in the metal platform under his feet, Barret glanced back over his shoulder. He cursed loudly, stopping and swinging his gun around. "What is _that?_ " he demanded.

The robot uncurled from its compact position, getting its feet beneath it and balancing its weight between six legs. The core was raised a little above the main body with two machine gun-like arms attached to it and a long tail ending in a sharp point twitched almost spastically behind it. All in all, Zack thought it looked like someone had built a mechanical scorpion as tall as a house. "You go on ahead!" he called to Barret over the alarms as he drew his sword. "I'll take care of this!"

The robot locked onto Zack, bullets peppering the ground as he launched himself into the air. He landed on its back, bringing his sword down on the core and breaching its armor. He couldn't inflict any damage before the tail swung toward him, forcing him to jump out of the way. He landed to the robot's side, immediately rolling under another spray of bullets. He was back in the air as soon as he could stand, charging the strongest lightning spell he had as he landed again on its back. Thrusting his hand into the hole he'd made previously, he released the spell.

The robot jerked and twitched as all its circuits were fried, sagging to the floor. Zack glance around at the staccato of gunfire interspersed with the sound of bullets impacting metal right behind him. The large tail crashed heavily into the robot's back beside Zack, the bullets having knocked it off course. "Thanks Barret," he said, pulling his hand from the core.

Barret nodded as he turned, leading the way back.

They managed to make it out just before the bomb went off, taking shelter in a maintenance tunnel as the explosion rocked the Plate. They all hit the ground and covered their heads as bits of the roof cracked and fell on them, chunks of metal and concrete creating a deafening racket as it rained down outside. Once the worst of it seemed to be over, Zack cautiously raised his head and glanced around.

"Anyone get hurt?" Barret asked, looking around at the group. Several head shakes answered his question.

"Um, I don't mean to sound pessimistic," Zack said, glancing at the now completely blocked- and in some places, still smoldering -entrance. "But, did anyone plan for that?"

"Don't worry, I got it covered," Jesse spoke up, digging through her bag as she headed to the opposite end of the tunnel. She took a moment to study the debris, deciding the best place to set the charge.

"Wow, electronics _and_ explosives," Zack commented lightly. "I didn't really think those two would go hand in hand."

"You'd be surprised," Jesse replied, sticking a small amount of C4 to the rubble. "Alright, everyone get back! Boss, if you'd do the honors?" she said, running back to the group and hunkering down.

Barret nodded, lying on the ground before raising his gun and firing.

The much smaller explosion did its job, creating an opening large enough for them to jump through. Zack went first, his hand on his sword as he glanced around for any guards before stepping out of the way to let Barret through.

"Awright, now let's get out of here!" Barret said once they were all out. "Rendezvous at the Sector 8 train station! Split up and get on the train!" Everyone nodded and headed out in a different direction, quickly picking their way through the rubble.

Zack shrugged and headed up the stairs to his left. He recognized Loveless Avenue, the billboards and signs advertising the latest rendition of the play. The structural damage was surprisingly minimal considering the mess he had left behind, although one of the trucks parked on the street had been flipped on its side. Not wanting to linger more than necessary, Zack quickly headed through the main plaza and turned down a back alley. If he remembered right, this should be a shortcut to the station. He followed the alley to the next street, groaning when he realized this was the bridge the train passed under as it began its descent down into the slums- and the station was back in the opposite direction.

"Hey! You there!"

Zack spun around, eyes narrowing at two troopers who had their guns trained on him. He had to admit, he was impressed with their response time.

"Keep your hands where I can see them!" one of the troopers barked.

Zack didn't have time for this. His materia glowed, fireballs flying toward the guards. He dodged to the side as they fired blind, a scream telling him at least one fireball hit the mark. Pulling his sword out, he rushed the other guard, taking his head clean off with one swing before administering a mercy killing to his still-burning friend. He could see more guards running toward the alley way, blocking his path. Cursing, he headed back toward the bridge- still _away_ from the station -and turned to the right, hoping to be able to circle back.

"Halt!"

Zack didn't hesitate as three more troopers appeared in his path, using the poor lighting to his advantage as he leapt high in the air. The guards brought their guns up, firing blindly into the night. Zack deflected the two or three bullets that would have hit him with his sword, planting his boot solidly on the middle trooper's head as he landed. His sword came down on the trooper to the right while a flash of lightning took out the one on the left. He could see more troopers circling around to cut off this street as well so he turned and headed in the opposite direction.

"Stop right there!

Zack cursed loudly as several more guards seemly materialized on the street ahead of him, sourly noting that all his escape routes had been cut off. Knowing he was far outnumbered, the troopers moved in to surround him, guns all aimed and ready to fire. Zack took a step back, his boot hitting the upraised concrete of the curb. He chanced a glance over his shoulder, noting with some irony that he'd been backed up against the edge of the bridge the very train he needed to be on would pass under. He stepped up on the curb, keeping his sword in front of him.

A red uniform appeared out of the sea of blue- a commanding officer. "Citizen, you are under arrest," the officer proclaimed. "Lay down your weapon and surrender."

"What are the charges?" Zack asked, stalling for time. "I was having trouble sleeping, so I went out for an evening stroll. Is that against the law?"

"You will be detained for questioning in regards to the explosion of the No.1 Mako Reactor," the officer barked. "Even if you had nothing to do with it, you are still responsible for the deaths of five men!"

"They attacked me first- it was self-defense!"

"The judge will decide that."

Zack snorted. "You mean, ShinRa will decide if I'm to be the scapegoat for this."

The officer narrowed his eyes. "Lower your weapon and surrender or we shall have to use force!"

Zack bit back a grin as he heard the familiar whistle getting closer. "If I lower my sword, none of your men will shoot?" he asked, edging back slightly. "I'm sure some of these guys were friends of the ones I killed."

"None of them will shoot unless I give the order."

Zack could feel the vibrations in the ground as the train drew nearer. "Alright," he said raising his hands and slowly sliding the sword back into its harness. "Just don't shoot."

"A wise choice." The officer motioned two of the guards forward.

Zack smiled as the train finally passed under the bridge. "Sorry," he said, stepping back. The bullets flew over his head as he fell, twisting to land on his hands and knees on top of the second passenger car. He was already under the next overpass and out of sight before the troopers could adjust their aim.

Knowing he didn't have much time before the security checkpoint- aka, a laser grid covering the tunnel to prevent hitchhikers outside the train -he crawled to the back of the train as quickly as he could. Once he was at the last car he leaned over the side and banged on the door. If everything had gone according to plan- for everyone else, at least -then Barret's team should be in there.

He waited several seconds, but no one opened the door. "Come on, guys!" he said, banging on it again. "I can't ride out here all the way down to the slums!"

He couldn't wait any longer. He moved to the edge of the door, grabbing the rim and pulling with his adrenaline and mako fueled strength. The catch snapped and the door was flung back along its rail, clanging loudly as it hit the end. Zack almost lost his balance, not expecting it to give so easily. Quickly catching himself, he crawled back over the now-open doorway, grabbed the frame and swung himself inside.

Several loud exclamations met his ears as he straightened up, the group all wearing various expressions of shock. Zack looked around, relieved that only members of AVALANCHE were in the baggage car. "Am I late?" he asked grinning.

"Yes, you're late!" Barret yelled, pounding his fist on the crate next to him for emphasis. "Think you can't just _waltz_ in here, making a big scene!"

"Hey, I knocked first, but no one would open the door!" Zack shrugged, brushing the big man off. "What did you _expect_ me to do?"

"I _expected_ you to meet at the station, like everyone else!" Barret yelled. "Havin' everyone _worried_ like that. You don't care 'bout no one but yourself!"

"I'm sorry!" Zack apologized, holding his hands up placatingly. "I didn't do it on purpose! I kind of...went the wrong way and got cornered by a bunch of troopers. I had to escape by jumping on the train as it passed under the bridge!"

Barret stared at him for several seconds in disbelief before closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose. "You mean to tell me, Mr. big-and-bad-ex-member-of-SOLDIER got _lost_ on the way to the rendezvous point?"

"Heh, it's been a really long time since I was Plateside," Zack hedged, rubbing the back of his neck. "But it all worked out in the end, right?"

Barret muttered several less than complimentary phrases under his breath before moving toward the head of the car. "We're moving out!" he declared. "Follow me!"

They relocated to the last passenger car, making themselves comfortable for the long ride. They arrived at the Sector 7 station without any further difficulties. Barret disembarked first, motioning the others to follow him off the side. "The mission was a success," he stated, keeping his voice low. "But don't get lazy now. The hard part's still to come! Don't y'all be scared of that explosion, 'cuz the next one's gonna be bigger than that!"

"Why?" Zack asked. "We took out the reactor just fine- what's the point in taking out the surrounding areas as well?" He noticed Jesse looked a little disappointed with his logic.

Barret glared at him for interrupting. "Meet back at the hideout!" he said, acting like Zack hadn't spoken. "Move out!"

The group split up again, although Zack wasn't really sure what the point was. Given the layout of the slums, there was generally only one path they could take to reach their destination. Shrugging, he followed behind the others.

Barret entered the bar first, Biggs, Wedge and Jesse hanging back at the base of the stairs. Zack's eyes widened as he heard gunfire. All the patrons quickly filed out, falling over each other in their haste to get away. Barret reappeared, motioning the members of AVALANCHE inside.

Zack marched right up to him, poking a finger at his chest. "What do you think you're _doing!_ " he hissed. "We're supposed to be _lying low!_ "

Barret pushed Zack's hand away. "I'm emptyin' the bar. We need ta have a meetin'."

"You don't think clearing out a bar at _gunpoint_ after a reactor _exploded_ is gonna catch anyone's attention?" Zack demanded.

"These guys are all too _drunk_ to remember anything," Barret said, raising his voice. "And if they _ain't_ they better fo'getaboudit, if they know what's good for 'em!" He saw several people in the immediate area flinch, quickly looking away.

Zack clenched his teeth, shaking his head and muttering under his breath as he entered the bar. Working for Barret seemed like a worse and worse idea all the time.

 **. . .**

It was very early morning by the time Zack made it back to Aeris' house. He quietly unlocked the door and pushed it open, pausing as several items _thumped_ heavily on the floor behind it. He stuck his head inside, glancing behind the door. Several large books had been stacked on their ends against the door, falling over as soon as he pushed it open.

"Zack...?" a sleepy voice across the room asked. "Is that you?"

Zack looked up, his enhanced slight easily picking out Aeris sitting up on the couch, rubbing one eye as she looked toward the doorway. "Yeah, it's me," he said, stepping inside and closing the door. "I told you not to wait up." He knelt and began gathering up the books.

"I didn't," Aeris argued, yawning as she stretched her arms above her head. "I slept on the couch."

Zack shook his head, stacking the books on the table. "I'm guessing that was meant to wake you up when I got home?" he asked, gesturing at the door.

"Mm-hm," Aeris agreed, turning on a lamp on the end table. She flinched away from the light, covering her eyes with her hand until they adjusted. "I wanted to make sure you got back safely."

Zack smiled. "Well, as you can see I made it back safe and sound. You should go back to sleep."

Aeris' brow furrowed, something in his tone bothering her. "What's wrong?" she asked. "Did something happen?"

Zack sighed, plopping down on the seat next to her. "The mission was fine," he said, waving his hand absently. "It's just...I don't know. I don't really get on all that well with Barret."

"I can't imagine anyone not liking you," Aeris said, snuggling up against his side.

Zack chuckled. "They're more common than you might think," he said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "But this is more than just a personality clash- I've had commanding officers I didn't like before. This is more of a disagreement about how things should be done, I guess."

"Like...what?"

"Like setting the next mission for tomorrow night instead of next week, or two weeks from now."

"Does it make that much of a difference?" Aeris asked.

Zack nodded. "After the reactor was hit, ShinRa will be increasing security on all of the remaining ones. The extra security will still be there in a week or two, but they won't be as on edge as they will tomorrow night," he explained.

"Did you explain that to Barret?"

"Yeah. For all the good it did me." Zack sighed, shaking his head. "I think our easy victory last night has gone to his head. Also, he's always spouting philosophy about 'ShinRa sucking the Planet dry,' but I don't think that's his main reason for doing all this. It seems much more personal than that."

Aeris cocked her head so she could look at him. "Isn't that pretty much your reason, too?"

"I'm just a mercenary for hire," Zack deflected. "I'm not saying it's _bad_ that Barret is doing this for revenge. The problem is he's too emotionally attached." He leaned his head back, staring at the ceiling. "When I first took the job, I was able to reason with him. After the successful mission last night, he refused to consider anyone else's opinion but his own- even accused me of still being loyal to ShinRa, if you can believe that." He shook his head again. "He's so caught up one minor victory that he can't see- or is ignoring -the threat that ShinRa still poses. _That's_ what makes it dangerous to follow him."

Aeris let her gaze fall, staring unseeingly at the floor. "The next mission is tomorrow night?" she asked.

"Yeah."

"And it's going to be even more dangerous?"

"...Yeah."

She bit her lip. "You're going to go anyway, aren't you?"

Zack huffed out a breath of air. "Tifa will be coming along this time," he said, rubbing her arm. "And I kinda feel I owe it to Cloud to look out for her, you know?"

Aeris didn't reply.

"Hey," Zack said, tilting her chin up to look at him. "I'll be careful," he promised, squeezing her shoulders comfortingly. "And I already told Barret this would be the last job."

"I don't want to lose you again," Aeris said softly.

"You won't," he said, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear. "I promise. You know I always keep my promises, right?"

"Do I have to wait four more years?" Aeris asked, giving him a shaky smile.

"No." Zack turned so he could wrap his other arm around her, holding her against his chest. "Whatever happens, I swear I will be home by this time tomorrow." He paused contemplatively. "Tonight? Tomorrow morning? What time is it anyway? Is it still today or is it already tomorrow?"

"You totally ruined the moment," she told him, chuckling softly. "Thanks Zack."

"Try not to worry about me, alright?" he asked. "Barret may not be a military man, but I am- uh, was -and we're trained not only to follow orders, but to improvise if the mission goes south. And, I think we're going to have to hit a few more reactors before ShinRa mobilizes a defensive unit that can give _me_ a run for my money." He pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. "I'll be fine, I promise."

Aeris sighed, unable to quell the traitorous voice in her mind that whispered Zack wouldn't come back from this mission. "I'll hold you to that."

 **. . .**

"I don't like this," Zack said, bringing up the rear behind Tifa while Barret led the way. Biggs, Wedge and Jesse must have been assigned jobs elsewhere, because Zack hadn't seen them since entering the reactor.

"What are you talking about?" Tifa asked, glancing over her shoulder. "Aside from the hiccup with our fake IDs, this mission has gone perfectly."

"Okay, first off, being forced to jump off a moving train to avoid being caught by security is not what I'd call a 'hiccup'," he pointed out. "As for the rest of the mission- doesn't it seem odd that we've encountered almost no resistance? Everyone's been talking about how ShinRa has increased security, yet we've run into _less_ hostiles than we did in the No.1 Mako Reactor," Zack pointed out. "There wasn't even some sort of security robot in the core!"

"Maybe you jus' didn't trip the alarm this time," Barret pointed out.

"Hey, I did exactly what you told me to!" Zack argued. "Besides, if you thought _I_ messed up last time, why would you insist on me being the one to set the bomb _again_ today?"

"Maybe they increased security at the No.2 and No.8 reactors only, thinking we were going to work our way around the outside," Tifa suggested, trying to head off yet _another_ fight before it got underway.

"I don't think so," Zack disagreed. "We destroyed a reactor, taking out one eighth of the power generated in Midgar. One reactor may not make much difference to a corporation as large as ShinRa, but they're not just going to sit back and wait until we do enough damage to become a threat."

"What are you implying, Zack?" Tifa asked, following Barret through the last security door and out of the reactor.

"Even though we didn't come in through the front door, so to speak, there should have been more security than this- a lot more," he said. "This...this feels like a trap to me."

They hurried down the open walkway, the Sector 5 slums visible through the grating beneath their feet. The catwalk ended at a 'T' intersection and Barret immediately turned to the left, heading for the access tunnel. He stopped, cursing vehemently as four troopers marched out, blocking his path.

Zack glanced to the right, immediately taking up rear guard with his sword raised as another group blocked that escape route as well.

"So it was a trap," Tifa said, raising her fists and falling into a defensive position.

The sound of slow clapping came from the reactor behind them, a portly man stepping out of the doorway. He was wearing a green military uniform and had a thick black beard and mustache that almost completely covered his mouth. "Very good, young lady," he sneered, still clapping sarcastically. "You figured it out."

"Who are you?" Barret demanded, keeping his gun trained on the troopers.

"My name is Heidegger," he introduced himself, pulling a cigar from his pocket the clipping the end. "I'm the head of Public Safety."

"Fancy term for the military," Zack muttered.

"As such," Heidegger continued, either not hearing the comment or not caring, "the President deemed it my responsibility to _personally_ oversee the elimination of AVALANCHE," he finished, lighting his cigar. He took a few puffs before scowling at the group. "I don't know why you couldn't come at a _decent_ hour instead of the _middle of the night,_ " he growled.

"Din't realize we were interruptin' your _beauty sleep,_ " Barret remarked snidely.

Heidegger scoffed. "Unfortunately I have an executive meeting in the morning, so I'm afraid I can't stay," he said, pulling out a remote control as a small helicopter descended, hovering just over the rail to his right. "So, I've arranged a playmate for you all. It's called 'Air Buster'- a techno-soldier. Consider it a gift from our Weapons Development Department," he said, pushing the button.

The guards blocking the path on Zack's side scattered as a large machine rumbled through them. Zack threw himself against the rail as it passed him, blinking at the odd robot.

It was about as twice as tall as he was and had a large circular base that hovered 8" to 12" off the ground. The main body on top of that was roughly shaped like the top half of a human, complete with arms, hands and something that could pass for a small head. There were no less than five exhaust pipes- two on the base, one on each shoulder and one sticking up behind the head. As it glided past him, Zack could see the glowing core behind the thick exhaust pipe on its back and the ex-SOLDIER couldn't help but shake his head. What were the people in weapon development thinking?

Barret immediately opened fire, peppering the torso with bullets as Tifa hung back to act as support. The robot brought one arm up to shield itself from the bullets, the other one opening- palm up -as if to grab something. The metal plate on its palm slid open, a small bomb popping out before closing again. The robot wasted no time tossing the explosive toward Barret. The gunman cursed and dodged to the side but wasn't quite fast enough. He cried out as his bloodied leg gave out, dropping him to the ground. Tifa's materia was already glowing, the soft green light spreading over his injured limb.

Zack rushed forward, two quick slices exposing the core behind the pipe. He yelped in surprise as bullets grazed his leg, jumping back as two small turrets he hadn't even seen sunk back down into the base. The entire robot turned to face him, forcing him to jump back again as it tried to ram him.

Spotting the glowing core, Barret adjusted his aim and started firing again, sending spider web cracks all across the protective plate, but not shattering it. The robot spun back to face him and Tifa, readying another bomb in its hand.

Seeing his chance, Zack darted forward, materia glowing as a quick slash broke the plate completely. He hopped onto the base, stuck his left hand directly into the core and let the lightning spell do its work.

In hind sight, Zack supposed he really shouldn't have been surprised when the robot exploded, throwing him off the catwalk and into freefall toward the slums. He only caught a glimpse of Barret and Tifa's shocked faces as he fell, the catwalk he'd just been on disappearing at an alarming rate. He spent a second or two panicking before an important fact occurred to him: he could fly.

Flipping over so he was facing the ground, he spread his arms and legs to slow his momentum slightly as he tried to figure out how to activate his wing. He visualized it in his head, focusing all his might on trying to remember what it felt like when it had manifested the first time. He would have grinned when he felt the pressure building up on his shoulder blade if the ground wasn't rushing up to meet him quite so fast.

His elation quickly turned back to panic as the pressure seemed to reach its peak, but no wing appeared. He tried to think back, desperately going over that night on the cliff. He remembered the foreign muscles stretching and contracting as the wing burst from his back, but before that... He'd walked around for several minute after the pressure had built up but before the wing appeared. Was there some set amount of time that had to pass before the wing could manifest?

Whatever the case, he was out of time. Cursing loudly, he braced himself for the impact, his entire body tensing. He could have cried in relief when he felt the muscles that shouldn't be on his back moving, the wing appearing in a cloud of black feathers. Unfortunately, he was too close to the ground to keep from crashing. His wing flared to catch the wind, managing to slow and redirect his momentum enough that, instead of leaving a Zack-shaped hole in the ground, he hit and rolled head over heels across the packed dirt, coming to a stop as his back smacked into the painfully solid base of a stone pillar. His vision went black for several seconds, the sound of crunching bone loud in his ears.

Zack couldn't do more than simply lay there for several minutes, his breath coming in pained gasps. His SOLDIER training took over, forcing him to focus on assessing the situation. No backup was coming to rescue him- he had to get out of this on his own.

Zack closed his eyes as he focused on his body, taking stock of his injuries. Ribs and hips felt badly bruised, likely from the various rocks and debris he had rolled over, but seemed fine otherwise. Minor cuts and scratches everywhere, but no obvious out-pouring of blood- always a good sign. Right ankle swollen, possibly broken, from when he had landed and left wrist sprained, likely from the same. A few minor bumps on his head, painful but not worrisome- Zack could almost hear Angeal making some comment about his 'thick skull.' His wing was the most badly damaged, excruciating waves of agony pulsing in time with his heart. The bones were broken at the very least, possibly even shattered.

Physical assessment complete, Zack moved on to step two: first aid. The Cura equipped in his bracer would be enough to mend the bones to the point he could move without debilitating pain. However he first had to move to give the bones the space they needed to be reset.

He was half-sitting, half-lying against the pillar, his wing pinned between it and his back. Standing was out of the question, but rolling forward and turning slightly to the side would be enough to shift him from sitting to lying face down. Taking a few deep breaths, Zack grit his teeth and lunged forward, rolling onto his stomach. He couldn't hold back a scream, the bones grating against each other as the wing fell limply against his back. Zack's vision blacked out again, taking his consciousness with it.

 **. . .**

 **To Be Continued**

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	9. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

A shrill ringing cut through the darkness, bringing consciousness and waves of pain with it. Zack groaned, trying to remember why he felt like he'd been hit by a train. He forced himself to focus on the materia in his bracer and sighed as the healing energy washed over him, reducing the pain from a dull roar to an aching throb. The events leading up to his current situation started trickling back to him as his mind cleared. Oh yeah, he'd fallen off the Plate. Again.

He carefully pushed himself to a sitting position, being extra mindful of his still injured wing as he fished through his pockets for an elixir. He paused as his phone started ringing, grunting as he reached into his back pocket to retrieve it. The Cura had helped a lot, but his entire body was still incredibly sore. He glanced at the display before flipping it open and holding the phone to his ear. "Hey, Aeris," he greeted, purposefully keeping his tone light. "What's up?"

"Where have you _been?_ " Aeris sounded frantic. "I've been trying to reach you for the last hour! I was so _worried_ when you didn't come home last night!"

Zack's eyes widened. "Last _night?_ " he asked, glancing around as he dug through his pockets with renewed fervor. "What time is it?"

"It's almost 6:00 am," she replied, her tone calming somewhat as her initial fears were relieved. "Where _are_ you?"

Zack blinked at the building across the way. "I'm actually at the church," he said, grinning wryly. He'd forgotten it sat almost directly underneath the No.5 reactor. "None of the locals seem to be out and about yet- or, if anyone saw me, they didn't hang around. I'll head home shortly."

Aeris sighed heavily. "Alright. I'll be waiting."

"Don't worry," Zack said, keeping his voice cheerful as he finally located an elixir. He grimaced as he pulled it out of his pocket, holding his breath to keep from making any incriminating sounds. "I'll be there before you know it." He hung up the phone, pulling out the cork and downing the blue liquid. He couldn't help the relieved sigh that escaped his lips as the elixir finished healing his injuries and soothed away the residual pain, leaving him feeling revitalized.

"Time to go!" he said, jumping to his feet and stretching his wing. He flapped it a few times to make sure the elixir had fully healed it before taking to the air. He did an aerial survey of the area to be sure he hadn't missed anyone skulking about. Once he was satisfied, he headed toward Aeris' house, making sure to gain some altitude before flying over the business district. Not everyone was still in bed at 6:00 in the morning.

It didn't take him long to reach the cottage, managing a much more controlled descent and smoother landing in the garden than the first time. He headed straight to the house, knocking on the back door to announce his presence before stepping inside. Aeris and Elmyra were waiting at the table, both glancing up as he opened the door. Aeris immediately stood, crossing the room and holding him tightly. Zack returned the embrace, feeling a bit guilty for making her worry.

Elmyra also stood, taking in Zack's dirty and torn clothing. "What happened, Zack?" she asked, eyeing the wing once more sticking out above his shoulder. "We were worried when you didn't come home."

"You should have at least called," Aeris chided, pulling back to look at him. She blinked in surprise as she noticed his wing for the first time, mouth falling open slightly. "Your wing..."

Zack chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his head. "Well, I guess it was kind of a stupid move on my part," he admitted, letting Aeris lead him over to the table as Elmyra poured him a cup of tea. "One of the ShinRa executives confronted us as we were leaving the reactor and had brought along some new robot from weapons development. It wasn't too hard to beat, but I was standing a little too close and was thrown off the Plate when it exploded," he explained, taking a drink of his tea.

Aeris and Elmyra were both shocked. "You fell from the Plate?" Elmyra breathed, wide eyes lingering on Zack's wing.

"Is that why your wing..." Aeris hesitated, gesturing to the limb.

"Pretty much," Zack agreed. "Although, I still haven't _quite_ got the hang of _landing_ and ended up knocking myself out," he lied, staring down into the cup. Aeris had been worried enough about him when he didn't come home- she didn't need the grizzly details of what had _really_ happened.

"You _crashed?_ " Aeris asked, visibly studying him for hidden injuries. "Are you hurt? I left the bangle you gave me in my room, let me go get-" She was halfway out of her seat when his hand on her arm stopped her.

"No, no, I'm fine," he assured her, pulling her back to the chair. "Seriously, I woke up when you called and drank an elixir- thanks for that, by the way. I really needed to get out of there before someone saw...well." He glanced over his shoulder, wing flaring slightly. "I would've had a bit of difficulty explaining _that_."

"Given the state of your clothes, I'd say that was some crash," Elmyra stated, looking at Zack pointedly. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"I kind of tripped when I landed- trust me, it looks a lot worse than it was." Zack shrugged, sipping his tea and praying Elmyra wouldn't press the issue. "Besides, I always have a healing materia on me and the elixir took care of everything else," he continued. That, at least, was an honest answer.

Elmyra studied him for several seconds more before nodding. "Get yourself cleaned up and I'll mend your clothes before they go in the wash," she said, standing and heading for the kitchen. "Breakfast should be ready by the time you're finished."

Zack nodded, drinking the rest of his tea. "Thanks Elmyra."

"Zack, are you really okay?" Aeris asked. "I mean..." She hesitated, glancing at his wing.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he promised. "Having a wing pop out of your back actually isn't that bad if you're already expecting it." He smiled. "And you know what else? Flying is...incredible. I didn't really notice it before, but there's this feeling of... _freedom_ that you just can't get anywhere else."

Aeris smiled, leaning over and giving him a hug. "I'm glad you're alright, Zack," she said, squeezing his shoulders.

"Hey, I promised I'd come back, didn't I?" he asked, sliding an arm behind her back.

"Yes," Aeris agreed laughing. "But you're late."

"Hm." Zack raised his free hand to his chin in mock contemplation. "Then I guess I'll just have to make it up to you somehow. You don't happen to have any more of those little wishes, do you?"

"Oh, I'm sure I can come up with something." She kissed his cheek only to pull back quickly. "In the meantime, I think you should go take a shower," she said, wiping the dirt from her lips.

"Alright, alright, I'm going," he said, chuckling. "Let it not be said I can't take a hint."

"Zack..." Aeris' voice stopped him at the base of the stairs. "You're really done, aren't you? Working for Barret, I mean," she said. "I know you said you wanted to keep an eye on Tifa, but..."

"Yeah." Zack nodded. "I told him that before the mission. He didn't seem too sorry to see me go, either." He sighed, shaking his head. "I do feel kinda bad leaving Tifa like that, but she's an adult you know? I'll try to make her see reason, but I can't stop her if she wants to continue following Barret."

Aeris nodded, feeling a little bad about the situation in general, but still relieved Zack was done. She didn't want to spend another morning worrying if she would ever see him again.

"Anyway, I'll call her some time this afternoon," Zack said, continuing up the stairs. "They're probably all asleep now anyway."

Aeris watched him disappear up the stairs, wondering if she'd made the right decision by asking him to refuse any further jobs from AVALANCHE. When Cloud got better, would he ever forgive her if something happened to Tifa because Zack wasn't there? Aeris didn't know the blonde well enough to guess, but she wasn't willing to risk losing Zack again.

 **. . .**

"Hi! You've reached 7th Heaven, the best bar in Sector 7! We can't come to the phone right now, but if you'll leave your name and number after the beep, we'll get back to you as soon as we can! Thanks! _beep_ "

Zack snapped the phone shut, sighing as he dropped his head back onto the pillow. It was a little after 9:00 pm, far later than Zack had intended to sleep when he'd gone to bed late that morning. Tifa probably had her hands too full with customers to answer the phone now. "I guess I'll try again in the morning," he said, rolling onto his side so he could unfold his wing from its cramped position beneath him. His gaze fell on Cloud, who was staring idly out the window. Zack had thought that being constantly on the move had been hampering the blonde's recovery, but they'd been staying here for a little over two months now and there was still no improvement. Perhaps it was time to take a more active approach.

There was a soft knock at the door, testing to see if he was up yet. "Come in," he called, swinging his legs over the side of the bed and sitting up.

Aeris opened the door and stepped inside. She was holding the clothes he'd worn during the mission, mended and freshly washed. "I didn't wake you, did I?" she asked, noting Zack was still wearing his pj's and sitting amid the rumpled bedding, as she set his clothes on the desk.

"Nah, I woke up a couple minutes ago. Didn't realize I'd sleep so late," Zack said, standing so he could do a full body stretch.

Aeris giggled as the wing stretched out to its fullest beside her. She couldn't help but run her hand along the glossy black feathers. They felt just as soft as they looked.

Zack gave a half-choked gasp, reflexively jerking the wing back from her touch.

"I'm sorry!" she apologized quickly, pulling her hand back and holding her fingers as if they'd been burned. "I didn't mean to- I was just-"

"No, it's fine," Zack said distractedly, staring at the wing with a mixture of surprise and disbelief. "It didn't hurt at all, it's just-" He stopped himself, eyes darting to Aeris as he amended what he had been about to say. "It's just really...sensitive."

"Sensitive?" Aeris repeated. "Did you sleep on it wrong? If it's sore I can rub it for you," she offered.

Zack flinched and turned so he was facing Aeris, with his wing safely behind his back and out of her reach. "It's nothing like that," he assured her. "It's fine, really- you just surprised me is all." He wondered why, when he desperately wanted to change the subject, he could think of nothing to say.

Aeris stared at him, brow furrowing for a few seconds. "Zack," she said, a smile spreading over her face as comprehension dawned on her. "Zackary Fair, you aren't _ticklish_ , are you?"

"No!" Zack said just a little too quickly. "Of course not!" He knew he was doomed when he saw the wicked gleam in her eye. "Now- now Aeris, you just stay back," he warned, one hand stretched out futilely to ward her off. He tried to back up only to trip over one of the boots he'd left on the floor when he went to bed. He automatically twisted to his right as he fell, not wanting to re-injure his wing after what had happened that morning.

"You really shouldn't leave your shoes in the middle of the floor silly," Aeris chided, leaning over him. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Zack said, pushing himself up onto his elbows. He froze for a second, realizing that not only did his current position have his back facing the flower girl, but his vulnerable wing was also on the side closest to her. He pinned the wing to his back, folding it in and trying to make it as small as possible while he got his knees underneath him and started to stand. An expertly timed hand- no, wait, she was using _both_ of them -through the feathers made them twitch almost spasmodically. Zack let out an involuntarily laugh as he jerked to the side to escape. His half-crouched, half-standing position didn't allow for much in the way of maneuverability and he overbalanced, catching himself with an outstretched arm as he fell back to the floor. It didn't seem like Aeris had any intention of losing the high ground.

Zack jerked as he felt her hand on his wing again. "No!" he choked out between laughs, trying to roll away. "S-stop it!"

Aeris attacked him relentlessly, taking advantage of the fact that the wing was too large for Zack to hide completely no matter how he twisted. He finally managed to pull her down to the ground with him, leveling the playing field. They tussled on the floor for a moment or two, both laughing as they tried to get the upper hand, until Elmyra's voice interrupted them.

"Child, I told you not to wake him up!" Elmyra hollered from downstairs, making them both freeze guiltily.

Aeris bit her lip. "Sorry mom," she called back.

Zack used the distraction to capture both her wrists. "If you promise to leave the wing alone, I'll let you go," he offered, panting for breath. "Otherwise, I'll be forced to retaliate in kind."

"Hm." Aeris considered the proposal. "I think that might be a little difficult as I'm still wearing my shoes," she pointed out.

"You have to take them off sometime," Zack countered.

Aeris laughed, leaning forward and stealing a quick kiss. "Alright," she agreed. "Truce. Mom's probably warming up dinner for you anyway."

Zack released her wrists, standing before helping her to her feet as well, although he was sure to keep his wing out of her reach. No point in tempting fate, after all. "I can't believe you went after my poor wing," he lamented, following her out the door.

"Consider it payback for all those times you relentlessly attacked my feet- while I was wearing a dress, no less!"

"Hey, that only happened once!" Zack defended.

Aeris gave him a _look_.

"...twice," he corrected.

She merely raised an eyebrow.

Zack laughed. "Alright, alright, I get the point," he conceded. "I have to admit, it was a lot more fun when I was the one _doing_ the tickling."

"For _you_ , perhaps," she stated, not quite stifling a yawn.

"Tired already?" he asked teasingly. "It's barely after nine!"

"You didn't sleep on the couch for the last two days," Aeris reminded him. "Or get up early this morning when a certain _someone_ didn't come home last night."

"Sorry," he apologized, rubbing the back of his head. "I didn't mean to make you worry."

"It's not really your fault," Aeris said, stepping forward and sliding her arms around his neck. "I'm just glad you're alright." They held each other for a few seconds before her mischievous side kicked in again and she tweaked his wing. Zack yelped as he flinched back and Aeris made her escape into her room, shutting and locking the door behind her. "Good night, Zack," she called sweetly through the closed door.

"Oh, you and me are gonna have words later," he promised, heading for the stairs.

Aeris just laughed.

Elmyra was just setting a bowl of soup on the table for him when he came down the stairs, motioning for him to take a seat. "Tifa stopped by earlier today," she informed him, buttering a roll and setting it alongside his bowl.

"Really?" Zack asked, taking a seat and picking up the spoon. "What was she here for?"

"She came to let us know you were dead."

Zack blinked, spoon hovering halfway between the bowl and his mouth. "Huh. I guess that _is_ a reasonable assumption, for most people. Why didn't you wake me up?"

"You were badly injured this morning," she explained simply. "You needed to rest."

"It honestly wasn't that bad," Zack lied. "Besides, that's what potions are for- drink one and you're good as new!"

"I may not have your battlefield experience, or even be a doctor, Zack," Elmyra stated. "But I do know a thing or two about first aid. Aeris didn't notice because the fabric is black, but your back was covered in blood although there were no cuts in the shirt to indicate where it came from. And even _I_ know elixirs are powerful enough to fully heal someone who has been fatally wounded- I doubt you would use one unless you _needed_ to." She turned back to the kitchen, heating another bowl of soup in the microwave. "When you experience a trauma like that, your body needs to rest- even if healing potions or materia have already taken care of the injuries."

Zack wondered if all mothers had built-in lie detectors, or if he was just that bad at lying. At least Aeris hadn't seemed to notice...

"In any case, I told Tifa you were alive but had been injured and were resting. I wasn't sure if she was aware of your current circumstances," she said, bringing him a glass of water as she nodded to the wing.

"Oh, uh, no," he said, a little surprised that he almost forgotten about the wing. "She isn't." He hesitated, watching Elmyra put together a tray to take to Cloud. "Thanks, Elmyra, for covering for me and, well, for everything," he said seriously.

"You're welcome dear," she replied, picking up the tray and heading toward the stairs. She hesitated as she passed Zack, balancing the tray against her hip with one hand. "You're part of the family, Zack," she said, smiling as she laid her free hand on his shoulder. "Helping each other is what families do."

Zack turned his head, studying her face for a few seconds before smiling. "Still...thanks."

Elmyra nodded, squeezing his shoulder reassuringly.

Zack let out a rather undignified sound, completely caught off guard when she tweaked his wing as she passed him on her way to the stairs. The overly sensitive nature of his wing was one revelation everyone seemed bound to make him regret.

 **. . .**

Having slept for the latter half of the day, Zack found himself wide awake as the last of the Gainsborough household retired for the night. After a stern warning to keep the noise down from Elmyra, Zack decided now would be a good time to practice flying and spent the next few hours doing just that in the garden out back. He had perfected a number of aerial techniques- most of which were just for fun -including several different landings. After touching down- successfully -following several taxing aerial feats, Zack headed inside for a drink of water.

Mindful of Elmyra's warning, he walked softly to the sink and filled a cup before taking a drink. He downed it all in one go and sighed in contentment. It was hard to beat a glass of cold water after a strenuous workout. He had started to fill the cup again when an odd sound caught his attention. Shutting off the faucet, he closed his eyes and focused on listening.

It was faint, coming from rather far away and Zack stepped back outside to hear it better. It sounded like the shriek and groan of metal pushed past its breaking point. He moved back out in the garden, closing his eyes again as he tried to tell where it was coming from when the earthquake hit.

The ground trembled almost violently beneath him, knocking him off his feet as a thunderous crashing replaced the ripping metal earlier. It seemed to last forever, the ground finally stilling as the echoes faded away. Zack simply sat there for a moment before slowly climbing to his feet. What _was_ that?

Lights came on the house and voices called out to make sure everyone was okay, prompting Zack to head back inside. The house was a mess. Books and plants had fallen off shelves, chairs had been knocked over, pictures had fallen off the wall... He shook his head as Aeris appeared on the stairs.

"Zack!" she cried, hurrying over and hugging him. "Are you alright? What happened?"

"I'm fine," he replied, noting she was shaking as he returned the embrace. He supposed waking up with the house falling down on you would do that to a person. "I was outside. It felt like an earthquake, but..." He trailed off, shaking his head. The noise had started before the tremors hit.

 **"I should go check it out."**

"I'm sure one of the news stations is running something on it," Elmyra said, coming down the stairs. She turned on the TV, flipping through the channels. It took a few moments before they found a news report outlining what had happened. Everyone was shocked to hear the Sector 7 Plate had fallen, crushing the slums beneath.

"That's... No, that... It can't be..." Zack murmured softly, watching the video footage of the destroyed sector, obviously filmed from the edge of either Sector 6 or 8 plateside. His eyes widened slightly as he realized something. "Tifa..." He grabbed his phone, hitting redial and putting it to his ear.

"Your call to Sector 7 cannot be completed at this time. Your call to Sector 7 cannot be-"

Zack let his arm fall, eyes still staring at the television in disbelief. Tifa was gone. He felt Aeris' arms tighten around him.

 **"Perhaps she was not in the bar. I should go check the playground to see if she made it out in time."**

"Hold on, we've just got a new report in," the news anchor was saying, "ShinRa has been contacted by AVALANCHE, who are claiming responsibility for this disaster-"

Zack felt his blood run cold. AVALANCHE had their headquarters in Sector 7- they had been crushed by the Plate. If ShinRa was blaming this on them, then-

"We have to get out here," Zack said urgently. "Now."

"Why?" Aeris asked, looking up at him.

"What is it, Zack?" Elmyra asked, noting he had gone rather pale.

"AVALANCHE was based in Sector 7," Zack explained, his voice tight. "Unless they had some advanced warning, they're all gone now. There is no way they would have claimed responsibility for this." He clenched his fist, eyes narrowing. "ShinRa found out where they were and decided to get rid of them in one fell swoop. By saying AVALANCHE was behind this, they're guaranteed to flush out any members they may have missed- either in a suicide revenge attack on ShinRa HQ or by being turned in by people in the community."

"ShinRa did this?" Aeris gasped. "But- thousands of innocent people were killed!"

"ShinRa doesn't care who they hurt as long as they accomplish their own goals," Zack said darkly. "I don't know who may have told them about 7th Heaven," he continued, shaking his head. "But if they saw me too and my description got back to the right people, that would lead them straight back here."

Elmyra's lips tightened. "Aeris, go pack a bag," she instructed, her voice wavering slightly. "Clothes and anything you can't bear to leave behind, but pack lightly." Aeris nodded shakily and headed upstairs. "Zack, would you pack all the non-perishables in the kitchen?"

"Yeah. Cloud and I are pretty much ready to go anyway."

Elmyra nodded, quickly following Aeris up the stairs.

Zack quickly got the food together, mentally cursing himself for not having thought to prepare a bag of rations earlier in case they had to run again. A loaf of bread, a block of cheese and couple cans of soup and vegetables was able all he could scrounge up. He also filled the four water bottles he found.

Heading upstairs, he gathered his and Cloud's meager belongings, shoving them into a small bag.

 **"I should fly over to see if Tifa made it out before we leave. I'll have enough time to get there and back before Aeris and Elmyra finish packing."**

Zack shook his head. "I _don't_ have time," he muttered, sitting Cloud up and hurriedly getting him dressed. "The Turks could already be on their way here. Not to mention, the area will be crawling with ShinRa troops searching for any remnants of AVALANCHE that might have made it out."

 **"But Tifa could be-"**

"Tifa's _**dead!**_ " Zack snarled, his voice a bit louder than he'd meant it to be. He froze, Cloud's boot halfway laced up as Zack realized he'd been arguing with a voice in his head. "No," he whispered. "Not now. I can't afford to lose myself, not _now_." He closed his eyes, taking several deep breaths. "Keep it together. Degradation doesn't happen overnight. Cloud needs me right now. Aeris needs me. Elmyra...could probably take care of herself," he muttered, grinning wryly. "But, I'd like to think my help will make it easier for her. I can keep it together until we reach Kalm, at the very least." Eyes hardening in determination, he finished tying Cloud's boot and started on the next one, resolutely ignoring the way his hands were shaking.

Once Cloud was ready, Zack turned back to the desk to finish gathering his extra materia, bracers and other equipment. His eyes landed on the Buster sword leaning against the wall. Leaving it behind was out of the question. However, it was still too memorable to risk being seen with in public- especially once the Turks realized Aeris had vanished right beneath their noses. It also didn't quite seem right to start using it again now that he had an adequate replacement. Angeal himself carried it around as a reminder of his family's honor, only ever using it once or twice that Zack knew of. Perhaps he could wrap it in something, but that would still be a suspicious looking bundle...

Zack gathered up the remaining items littering the desk, slipping them into his pockets as he considered what to do. He paused when one green materia in particular touched his fingers, his eyes drawn back to the giant sword as grin spread across his face. He had an idea.

About ten minutes later, Aeris and Elmyra descended the stairs, large bags slung over their shoulders. Zack was waiting for them at the table, a basket and a messenger bag sitting on top of it. "I had an _awesome_ idea!" he exclaimed, grinning broadly.

Elmyra looked a little disconcerted at the sudden and drastic shift in his mood. "Are you ready to go?" she asked. "Where's Cloud?"

His grin got even wider. "Right here," he said, patting the lid of the basket. "There're pillows and blankets in there so you can sleep the rest of the night while I fly us toward Kalm."

Aeris and Elmyra both simply blinked at him before sharing a look.

"Aeris, if I may have your bag?" Zack asked, holding out his hand. Shrugging slightly, she handed it over. He placed it next to the basket on the table and held his left hand over it, one of the materia in his bracer glowing. Aeris gasped as the bag shrunk until it was only a couple inches long. Still grinning, Zack picked up the now-tiny bag and slipped it inside the messenger bag.

"Zack, that's brilliant!" Aeris agreed excitedly.

"I know, right?"

"Are you sure it works on people?" Elmyra asked, eyeing the materia distrustfully as she handed him her bag.

"Yep! I tested it on myself earlier," Zack stated, shrinking her belongings and adding them to the messenger bag he'd be carrying. "It doesn't really feel like you're the one changing- more that everything around you suddenly grew." He patted the basket again. "As I said, I shrank several blankets and pillows for you to use and Cloud's already settled in. So! Who wants to board the _Zack Express_ first?" he asked, rubbing his hands together.

Aeris volunteered, darting to retrieve her staff by the door before indicating she was ready. Raising his hand, Zack cast the spell first on her and then Elmyra, both women shrinking to around eight inches tall. He carefully picked them up and put them in the basket, smiling as his sharp hearing caught Elmyra's complaints of 'being too old for this.' Once they were settled in, he closed the lid, explaining he didn't know how cold it might be once they were outside the city. Sliding the messenger bag strap over his head, he gently picked up the basket and headed outside. He stopped in the garden glancing back at the house that had been his home for the last two months. His gaze then wandered to the thick cloud of dust that hadn't yet settled in the distance and his eyes hardened. Facing the opposite direction he leapt into the sky, beating his wing to gain altitude and headed out of the city, never looking back.

 **. . .**

Zack pushed himself hard, not wanting to stop until he was passed the Midgar wastes. Even though no one would be looking for them out here so soon, the vast stretches of empty land with virtually no cover made him nervous. He flew for almost three hours straight, the mako burning in his veins as he pulled on its reserves to keep going. The sky was lightening as dawn approached when he wearily touched down on the clifftop, gently setting the basket on the ground before all but collapsing next to it. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his bent knees and hanging his head as he tried to catch his breath. His wing sagged behind him, aching and trembling from the extended use. A moment or two later he heard a tiny voice.

"Zack?" Aeris asked, lifting the lid with some effort and poking her head out. She squinted as the light assaulted her eyes. "Is everything alright?"

"Yeah," he panted, holding the lid for her as she climbed out. "Just taking a break."

Aeris nodded, stretching as she looked around the area with interest. "Mom and Cloud are still sleeping," she informed him. She jerked in surprise as she caught sight of Midgar in the distance, whipping around and staring in shock. The massive city had always covered the sky, reaching almost to the edge of the horizon for as long as she could remember. It was surreal to see it from a distance; the enormous city dwarfed by the mountains to the west and almost swallowed up in the flatlands around it. "We're so far away! And it's barely even morning!" she cried, hugging his leg. "You're _amazing_ Zack!"

Zack chuckled tiredly, grimacing as he pulled his wing back up to a more natural position. "Yep, that's me," he agreed, trying to add a bit of his usual exuberance to his tone but falling short. "Mr. Incredible."

Aeris pulled back, studying him for a moment. "Could you make me big again?" she asked.

"Sure," Zack said, shrugging one shoulder. "Step back a bit- not too close to the basket, you don't want to crush Cloud and Elmyra."

Aeris did as instructed, watching in fascination as the world seemed to shrink around her. She held her arms out, twirling in a circle. "It's just so... _open_ out here," she said, looking around with interest. "I had no idea."

"Yeah, everything tends to get a bit crowded in the big cities," Zack agreed, popping the green materia out of his bracer. "You should probably hold onto this," he said, tossing it to her. "In case something happens to me."

Aeris caught it, raising an eyebrow. "If something happens to you, I think we'll all be killed when we hit the ground," she pointed out.

Zack laughed, shaking his head. "I mean while I'm _on_ the ground," he explained, rubbing what he could reach of the base of his wing. "There are monsters down here and I don't want to leave you guys completely unprotected. For some reason, Mini is the only spell you can cast when shrunk."

Aeris nodded and equipped it in her bangle, stepping around Zack to kneel at his back. She couldn't resist touching the quivering feathers, her eyes sliding back toward Midgar as she wondered how hard he had pushed himself to cover so much distance so quickly.

Zack grunted, his wing automatically twitching away from the light touch. "Not now, Aeris, please," he ground out, a bit of annoyance coloring his tone. "I told you before, my wing's really sensitive- the slightest touch tickles like crazy."

"Sorry," she apologized, being sure to take a firm grip near the base of the wing. "Does this bother you?"

"No." Zack turned his head, looking over his shoulder curiously. "What are you...oh... _oh_..." He let out a low moan, relaxing as she massaged the overworked muscles. "Oh, that's _niiiiice_..." he drawled, all but purring.

Aeris giggled as he seemed to melt under her ministrations. Not really sure where the muscles on the mid and outer wing would be located- and not wanted to end up hurting Zack accidentally -she focused her attention near the base and on his back. She figured that was where most of the heavy lifting was happening anyway.

It was several glorious minutes before Aeris decided she was done. Zack almost begged her to keep going before his mind caught up to his mouth. He shook himself out of the stupor he'd fallen into, standing and stretching. As wonderful as the massage was, they didn't have time to dilly-dally. "Thanks, Aeris," he said, turning and flashing her a brilliant smile. "You have _no idea_ how good that felt."

"Oh, I don't know," she said, tilting her head to the side consideringly. "I think I might have some idea. You're a very _vocal_ person after all- even if most of it was unintelligible."

Zack laughed a little self-consciously, rubbing the back of his head. "Yeah, I never can seem to keep my mouth shut," he agreed. He glanced toward the horizon, noting it was getting lighter as twilight faded toward sunrise. He dug in his messenger bag, pulling out the shrunken bag with their provisions. He paused for the moment, smiling when he remembered he no longer had the materia. "Would you mind?" he asked, holding out the bag.

Once it was back to normal size, Zack opened it up and studied the contents for a moment before pulling out a water bottle and can of tomato soup. "Ah, the breakfast of champions," he quipped, passing the bag to Aeris. He drank almost the entire bottle, not realizing just how thirsty he was until the water hit his tongue. "Oh, yeah!" he said, pausing to breathe. "That hits the spot!"

Aeris laughed at him, opting for bread and cheese. "You didn't happen to pack a knife, did you?" she asked, looking through the bag.

"Uh...no," Zack admitted. "But I've got a sword."

The sword was a bit awkward, having been meant to be used on much larger targets, but they managed to slice the cheese into more manageable chunks. Aeris picked one, wrapping the others putting them back into the food bag. It was about that time Zack realized he had also neglected to bring a can opener.

"It's like you've never been camping before," Aeris said, laughing as he held the soup can between his boots, the tip of his sword resting on the lid while he hit the pommel with his hand.

"Have you?" Zack countered, carefully modulating his strength. He wanted to poke a hole in the top, not split it down the side. "You're the one that's never been outside of Midgar."

"No," Aeris agreed. "But I've read about it. You're from the country, though. Isn't camping something you did growing up?"

Zack laughed, managing to get one hole and repositioning his sword to make another. "Yeah, my parents used to take me when I was younger," he stated. "Dad was big on living off the land, though- catching fish and picking any berries that happened to be in season, if we could find them." He grit his teeth as the sword slipped, knocking the can over and the hole precariously close to the dirt. "Never had much use for a can opener on trips like that."

Managing to get a second hole in the lid, Zack plopped down next to Aeris and raised the can to his mouth. He grimaced, the soup tasting more like tomato juice in its cold state. However, not trusting his skills with materia enough to simply heat the soup- or wanting to melt his glove on the can if he _were_ successful -he choked it down in silence.

"That bad?" Aeris asked, watching his expression as she took a bite of her bread.

"Well, I'm sure it's much better hot," Zack replied, smacking his lips to try and get rid of the metallic after taste. "Either that or it's been a _really_ long time since I've had tomato soup- probably both, actually."

"Let me try it," she said. Zack passed it over and she took a sip. She shuddered slightly, covering her mouth with one hand and turning away as she handed it back. "That's _really_ bad," she agreed after she had managed to swallow.

Zack laughed at her reaction, accepting the cold soup. "I didn't realize how much you guys have spoiled me in the last couple months," he commented, idly swishing the liquid around in the can. "I could have downed this, no problem, back then. Ah, well. Waste not." Saluting her with the can, he raised it to his lips and sucked out the remaining soup in one shot.

Aeris just started at him. "I really don't think I'd be cut out for a life on the run," she said after a moment.

"Well, I certainly wouldn't recommend it," Zack stated, setting the can aside and digging out a piece of bread to clear his palette. "But hunger _does_ make everything taste really good."

"I'll take your word for it."

They finished their breakfast in companionable silence, watching as the sun peeked up over the horizon. Zack hopped back to his feet, doing a few squats to get the blood flowing again. "We should probably get going," he said, turning his gaze back on Midgar. As long as the city was still in sight, they were far too close for his liking.

"Yeah," Aeris agreed, letting Zack pull her to her feet before shrinking the bag of provisions. "Are you going to continue flying?" she asked, watching as he tested his wing's mobility.

"Until we're much closer to Kalm at least," he replied, feeling a weakness he didn't trust in the muscles. He'd need to drink a potion or two before he tried flying again. "It beats walking any day."

Aeris bit her lip, unable to fault his logic. "Just...don't overdo it, okay?" she asked.

"I won't," he promised. "Besides, I imagine you guys are gonna want to stretch your legs every once in a while. You might as well take the food in with you- Elmyra and Cloud are probably gonna be hungry when they wake up."

Aeris nodded, setting the bag next to her foot and shrinking herself. Retrieving the bag, she let Zack help her back into the basket.

As soon as Aeris was settled, Zack fished around in his pockets until he found a potion. He drank it quickly, testing his wing again as the healing liquid banished the lingering soreness and revitalized the muscles. Nodding to himself in satisfaction, he glanced once more toward Midgar and then toward the rising sun. If he remembered correctly, Kalm was roughly northeast of Midgar. Altering his course slightly, he carefully picked up the basket and took to the skies once more.

 **. . .**

 **To Be Continued**

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	10. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Flying during the day was both easier and more difficult at the same time. On one hand, as the sun warmed the land, thermal currents rose which allowed Zack to glide for longer stretches without much effort. On the other, he had to keep a careful eye out for anyone in the area. He stayed away from the roads and flew high enough that even someone directly underneath him [hopefully] wouldn't be able to say with any certainty that he wasn't a bird. However, flying across the open skies in broad daylight went against every single thing he'd ever learned about stealth and concealment. His paranoia was having a field day.

A faint blur on the horizon became visible around noon, resolving into Kalm as Zack steadily drew closer to it. When his enhanced sight could make out the faint outlines of people moving about, he decided he'd flown them close enough. It'd been awhile since the last break, so Aeris and Elmyra would surely appreciate the chance to stretch their legs for a while- and he needed to work on figuring out how to get rid of his wing.

He landed lightly on the ground, setting the basket down and opening the lid. "Thank you for flying Fair Airlines, but I'm afraid the rest of our journey will be on foot," he said, helping the women out and onto the ground. He debated Cloud for a moment, deciding it would be easier to leave him in the basket for the time being.

Aeris wasted no time in restoring them to their proper size, stretching in the open air. "How far are we from Kalm?" she asked.

"Probably about an hour," Zack estimated. "Two tops."

Elmyra looked surprised. "It takes the better part of the day to drive that distance," she said, eyes wide as she stared at Zack. "Are you telling me that you flew the _entire_ way in that same amount of time? Possibly even _less?_ "

Zack shrugged. "To be fair, the road between Midgar and Kalm tends to meander around _a lot_ due to the terrain," he pointed out. "And, even though you can't really tell down here, the wind has pretty much been at my back for most of the trip- that _really_ made a big difference."

Elmyra just shook her head, words failing her.

Aeris smiled, taking her mother's hand and squeezing it reassuringly. "So," she asked brightly, setting the butt of her staff on the ground. "Which way to Kalm?"

Zack gave her an odd look. "It's right over- oh, I guess you can't see it from here. You should be able to see it from the top of that rise though," he said, gesturing toward a hill some distance away as he transferred the bags to the basket. No point in risking damaging- or losing -all that was left of their worldly belongings if a monster attacked.

Zack checked his sword, making sure he could draw it quickly should the need arise. "Would you mind carrying Cloud?" he asked, handing Aeris the basket. "I don't want to drop him if we're caught by surprise." His automatic reflex when attacked was to drop everything in his hands and go for his sword. He'd actually dropped Cloud once or twice when they'd been traveling before, and didn't want to chance injuring the blonde badly in his shrunken state.

"Sure," Aeris said, accepting the basket. "You deserve a break, after all- you've carried all of us the entire trip."

They set out, Zack slightly in the lead with Aeris and Elmyra following a step or two behind. Fatigue was rearing its ugly head, Zack's tired limbs reminding him he should have been in bed hours ago. Flying all night and through the following morning was beginning to take its toll on him. Physically, he could continue pushing himself through the rest of the day and into the night if need be without repercussions. Mentally, on the other hand, he knew he'd be as cranky as a dragon with a thorn stuck in its foot. He sighed, making a note to keep a careful reign on his temper.

Zack shifted his wing, feathers fluttering softly as he considered the extra limb. He needed to get rid of it before they got too close, but he wasn't really sure how to do that. He thought back to the first night at Aeris' house, going over the events leading up to its disappearance. He'd felt like a behemoth in a china shop, knocking over everything that wasn't nailed down and bumping into everything that was. He'd also been rather stressed at the time, his nerves frayed from months on the run in general and meeting with Elmyra in particular. He didn't mind admitting the older woman scared him, although living in the household had turned that fear into a healthy level of respect. That did not, however, mean he ever wanted to cross her.

Shaking his head to get his tired mind back on track, Zack went back through the memory again. He was giving Cloud a bath and his wing was constantly in the way. His emotions were running high, frustration and anger topping the list though they weren't the only two on it. He remembered considering various ways to remove the wing, although it wasn't until he almost reached for his sword after trying to stand while stepping on the feathers that it disappeared- seemingly of its own volition. Zack's step faltered as a horrifying thought occurred to him: Could the wing actually be sentient? He slowly looked over his shoulder, moving the wing in a series of short motions and jerking it this way and that at random. It seemed to respond to him well enough...

"What are you doing?"

Zack jumped slightly at Aeris' voice right at his opposite shoulder, jerking his head around. She had moved closer to him as they walked, her head tilted curiously as she glanced from his face to his wing and back again. Elmyra was also giving him an odd look. "Oh, uh, nothing," Zack said, rubbing his neck in embarrassment.

"Your wing kind of looked like it was spasming," Aeris stated. Her eyes widened in concern as something occurred to her. "Are the muscles seizing from flying too much? You should have said something! Let me rub it for you." Aeris stopped walking, handing the basket to Elmyra before turning back to the ex-SOLDIER.

"No, it's nothing like that," Zack hastily explained. "I'm fine. I was just..." He sighed, looking away. "I'm trying to...put it away, I guess."

Aeris blinked at him. "That looked more like a seizure."

Zack chuckled softly. "Well, I'm not exactly sure how to do it," he hedged, gesturing for them to start walking again. No need to tell her he was suddenly irrationally afraid that the wing might have a mind of its own. Although, given some of Hojo's projects... Zack firmly shook his head. He was _not_ going to go there. The wing was not sentient and that was that.

Aeris fell into step beside him, a finger on her chin in thought. "I don't suppose there's some type of button or something?" she asked.

"A button?" Zack repeated, not quite sure he'd heard her right.

"Not a _button_ button, but like a bone spur or something- you know, you touch it or push it the right way and it pulls everything back in," she explained. "I didn't feel anything around the base, but maybe somewhere else on the wing itself?"

Elmyra sighed. "Child, you have watched too many science fiction shows."

Zack, on the other hand, remembered stepping on the feathers right before the wing disappeared. He grimaced, not eager to try that again, although it may be a last resort. "Uh, no spurs that I've found."

"What were you doing when it disappeared the last time?" Aeris asked, undeterred by the easy dismissal of her last idea.

"Well, I was giving Cloud a bath."

"Hm. Perhaps we can try that again when we get to Kalm?" she suggested. "We can shrink you when we get closer to the city and sneak you inside with Cloud in the basket!"

Zack didn't think Cloud had anything to do with it, nor was he comfortable leaving the women defenseless for that last stretch to the city. However the idea did have some merit if he couldn't banish the wing in time. Another last resort, then. "I'll think about it," he told her. "I'm gonna keep trying in the meantime though- maybe I'll get lucky."

As Aeris fell silent, Zack continued mulling over his problem. The second time his wing had manifested, he had been freaking out as he fell from the Plate. Perhaps heightened emotions had something to do with it? He took a deep breath, trying to remember those last seconds as he was plummeting to the ground. He had given up on the wing, muscles tensing as he prepared to hit...and pushing the wing into physical form in the process. Zack blinked, wondering if it could really be that simple. Either way, he wouldn't be able to test it until the wing was no longer on his back.

Deciding to assume his theory was correct, as he did have any better ideas at the moment, Zack turned it around to look at from the other side. If was able to gather...whatever was in his body and push it out to manifest the wing, then he should be able to pull it back in using those same muscles. It was worth a shot, anyway.

Nodding to himself, Zack stopped walking and took a deep breath, closing his eyes. He stood still, wing twitching occasionally as he tried to find the muscle to pull it back in. Several long minutes passed before he growled. "I give up!" he declared loudly, throwing his hands up in frustration as he started walking again.

Aeris and Elmyra, who had long since made themselves comfortable on the ground, scrambled to catch up. "No luck?" Aeris asked sympathetically.

Zack was sorely tempted to snap out a sarcastic retort, but bit back on his temper instead. "I just don't get it," he complained. "Yesterday, I somehow managed to _push_ it out of my back when I fell. I thought I could just, I dunno, _pull_ it back in or something, but..." He trailed off, shaking his head as he muttered darkly under his breath.

 **"Perhaps it is more a matter of will. Not just looking for a muscle somewhere, but actually** ** _mentally_** **pulling it back to my body..."**

Zack snorted at the stupid thought. A matter of will? He shook his head. Next he'd probably be getting urges to bend spoons using only his mind.

 **"It doesn't hurt to try. And it's more plausible than thinking giving Cloud another bath will fix this."**

Zack couldn't dispute his own logic, even if his tired mind was using it to support off-the-wall ideas. Giving a half shrug, he kept one eye on the ground in front of him, turning the rest of his attention to the growth on his back. It would probably be easier if he stopped again and closed his eyes, but he didn't want to make everyone wait several minutes more only for nothing to happen again.

He took another deep breath, clearing his mind as Angeal had taught him. He focused on his body; feeling his heart beating in his chest, the worn inside of his gloves against his fingertips, the harness shifting across his back as he moved... the feathers ghosting across skin. He closed his eyes briefly as he focused on the foreign muscles and tendons, the feeling of feathers shifting in the breeze, the creak of joints he shouldn't have, latching onto all of them with his mind and _pulled_.

Zack gasped, his eyes flying open as the wing was withdrawn once more. His back arched and he squirmed until whatever was under his skin settled down. It seemed that the feeling of _something_ slithering across his spine and down his ribs did not get better with time. "That is _sooo_ not okay," he breathed, voice trembling.

"Are you alright, Zack?" Aeris asked, laying her hand on his arm in concern. "Does it hurt?"

"No, it's just _really_ unnerving," Zack assured her, trying to quell the shudder dancing along his spine. "I can feel it sliding across my back, _underneath my skin._ " He took another deep breath, trying to stop his hands from shaking. "It's not painful, though."

Aeris and Elmyra both looked a bit unsettled by his description. "Oh. That's good that it didn't hurt," Aeris said, glancing at the ground behind him, "because it kind of looked like it exploded."

"What?" Zack followed her gaze to a large pile of black feathers, some already being whisked off in the breeze. "Oh yeah, I forgot about that," he said, rubbing his head. "I guess all the feathers are shed whenever the wing...disappears." He shook himself, visibly brushing off the weirdness of the situation. "Okay!" he said brightly, forcing a bit of false cheer into his voice as he clapped his hands together. "The wing's gone and hopefully it won't be back. For now, we should get going- we'll never reach Kalm if we keep stopping every few minutes! Onward, troops!" he declared, pointing the way dramatically as he took the lead once more.

Aeris giggled at his antics and Elmyra just shook her head with a fond smile, both falling into step behind him once more.

It took them about ten minutes to reach the base of the hill, although the gentle incline didn't affect their pace much. It was several more minutes before they reached the top and Kalm finally came into sight. The high wall surrounding it obscured all but the tallest buildings from view. "There it is ladies," Zack said, sweeping his arm toward the city in the distance. "Our destination."

"Hm." Aeris looked a little disappointed. "Are you sure that's Kalm?" she asked.

Zack laughed, realizing the city probably looked like a giant rock at this distance without his enhanced sight. "Yes, I'm sure."

"The city has a tall wall around it," Elmyra explained as they started down the other side. "It was initially built to ward off monster attacks, but I think they made it bigger during the war in case Wutai decided to try attacking Midgar directly."

Zack looked a little surprised. "You been there before?" he asked.

Elmyra blinked at him. "I'm from there, Zack," she explained. "My brother lives there still. We write and call occasionally, though the last time I saw him was before I adopted Aeris."

That was news to Zack. He'd had no idea Elmyra had connections outside of Midgar. "Why didn't you go visit?" he asked. "I mean, it's practically just down the road."

"I couldn't get the money together to make the trip," Elmyra answered with a shrug. "He'll certainly be surprised to see me, but he'll be more than happy to let all of us stay."

Zack considered that for a moment, weighing the pros and cons. He hadn't expected Elmyra to have family here and wasn't really comfortable dropping in unannounced, especially given his situation. He doubted the Turks had given up finding him so easily and Kalm was the closest city to Midgar. "I don't know," he said slowly. "I think Cloud and I should probably find somewhere else."

"What's wrong with Uncle Shawn's place?" Aeris asked.

"It's just... Four people showing up on your doorstep needing a place to stay is kind of a lot, you know?" he hedged. He trusted Aeris and Elmyra. He wasn't quite sure he was willing to put his life- and Cloud's -in the hands of a man Elmyra hadn't seen in years and Aeris had never even met. "I wouldn't want to intrude."

"As I recall you had no difficulty doing that at our house," Elmyra pointed out, a slight smile softening her words.

Zack kept his eyes forward, pretending to be choosing his steps with great care. "I was gonna find somewhere else to stay, but Aeris insisted," he stated quietly.

"Well, I guess I'll just have to talk you into staying here, too," Aeris quipped.

Zack didn't reply, keeping his expression carefully neutral. How could he explain this to them without insulting their family? He had wanted to be seen by as few people as possible and had been thinking of Kalm as only the first stop on their trip, focusing first on getting out of Midgar and deciding where they were actually headed later. Even if they gave up on him, the Turks would be tracking Aeris as soon as they realized she was gone. How long would it take them to decide she wasn't in Midgar and start searching the surrounding areas?

"You do realize," Elmyra began after a tense moment, "that if we show up without you and Cloud, Shawn's going to be worried?"

"What?" Zack whipped his head around, staring at Elmyra. "How does he know about _us?_ "

Elmyra looked a little surprised at his reaction. "I call him about once a month and write letters weekly," she explained. "He knows you two have been staying with us."

Zack turned away, still a bit shocked. He hadn't expressly asked Elmyra to keep it a secret, but still...

"Don't worry about it, mom," Aeris said in a stage whisper. "Zack tends to let his paranoia get the best of him when he's on the run."

"It's not paranoia if they really are out to get you," Zack muttered, rubbing a tired hand over his face. "ShinRa's eyes and ears are _everywhere._ "

Elmyra studied Zack pensively for a moment. She knew he had traveled across the continents with Cloud in tow while running from ShinRa, but she'd never really stopped to consider what that actually meant. What must it have been like, always on the move and unable to trust anyone along the way? How many times had calls been made after he had left, bringing fresh troops to his current location? And all while carrying and protecting his comatose friend...

She stepped closer, laying her hand on his arm sympathetically. "I'm sorry Zack. I didn't think you'd mind my telling Shawn about you, but he's a good man. You can trust him," she said, holding his gaze with her own. "I only told him the basics, nothing about where you came from or what had happened to you." She glanced meaningfully at his back. Even though the wing was no longer there, he still got the message.

Zack sighed, closing his eyes. It was already done and he knew part of the reason he was angry was because he was tired. Maybe Aeris was right and he _was_ being a bit paranoid. After all, the Turks can't search everywhere, especially if their numbers had dwindled, like she said. He took a deep breath, holding it for several seconds before letting it out. "It's fine," he said, shrugging. "No use crying over spilled milk, right?"

Now that he thought about it, Zack realized he _was_ thinking along the same lines as he had before he reached Midgar: don't stay anywhere too long, don't be seen more than necessary and trust no one. Perhaps his fatigue was at least partially to blame- he tended to fall back on old habits when he wasn't functioning at full capacity. "Sorry I over-reacted," he apologized, giving Elmyra an easy smile. "Old habits and all that."

Zack's ears pricked at the sound of a growl behind them, cutting off Elmyra's reply as he whirled around, sword already in hand. A large wolf was emerging from the brush, a low growl rumbling in its throat as it stalked toward the group. Zack eased himself between the wolf and the women, studying the canine before him. Its fur was reddish-brown in color with a few darker patches of grey scattered here and there. Its head was framed by a mane of fur, starting just behind the triangular ears that twitched as swiveled to listen to everything around it. Its head was lowered in an aggressive position, teeth barred as it as it slowly moved closer to the group.

Zack recognized the monster as a Kalm Fang, tightening his jaw as he risked a glance to either side. He saw two other members of the pack semi-concealed in the bushes, waiting for them to run so the weakest member could be singled out. "Step back slowly, but _don't run_ ," Zack said quietly, keeping his eyes on the alpha. His bracer glowed, priming the spell as he watched the wolves carefully. The two on the sidelines seemed content to wait until the leader forced their prey to run. Zack needed to take all three out quickly, or at least draw their attention away from Aeris and Elmyra.

The alpha lunged, jaws snapping as he went for Zack's legs. The swordsman threw a fireball toward one of the wolves in the bushes as he sidestepped the attack. A yelp off to his left let him know that he was successful as he brought his sword down, scoring a shallow cut in the alpha's side as it darted away and circled back for another attack. Movement to his right alerted him to the second wolf joining the fray and he met it with his sword, taking its head off with one stroke. Pain blossomed in his leg as it was bitten by another wolf, the charred and missing fur identifying it as the one that had been waiting on Zack's left. It seemed the monster had been able to avoid most of the fireball, getting a glancing blow at best. Zack skewered the wolf as it tried to jerk his leg out from underneath him, killing it as the alpha tackled him to the ground.

He dropped his sword as he fell, his hands far too busy keeping the large wolf's teeth from his throat. They wrestled on the ground for a few seconds, Zack managing to force its mouth closed and holding it shut with one hand while he maneuvered the alpha into a chokehold. A quick twist broke its neck and he pushed the wolf off, panting. A dull _clang_ of metal connecting with flesh spurred him back to his feet, scooping up his sword along the way.

Aeris was facing off with a fourth wolf, looking both nervous and determined as she clutched her staff tightly with both hands. She braced herself as it leapt at her, bringing her staff up defensively. She blinked in surprise as it was tackled from the side mid-lunge, turning to see Zack and the wolf rolling to a stop several feet away. The ex-SOLDIER quickly pushed himself back to his feet, pulling his sword from the wolf's chest. He scanned the area around them, tensed and ready for any other pack members he may have missed. When no more attacked he turned back to Aeris, the wolves' blood still dripping from his sword.

"Are you alright?" he asked, eyes scanning her for any injuries.

"What about _you?_ "she countered, hurrying over to him. "Sit down and let me look at your leg. Were you bitten anywhere else?" she asked, materia already glowing in her bangle.

"No, just a couple scratches. And I don't think it's a good idea for me to sit right now- if there are other packs members out there, they may be tempted to attack at a show of vulnerability," he explained, glancing around the area once more. "Are you alright Elmyra?" he asked, looking at the other woman.

Elmyra nodded a bit shakily, holding the basket's handle tightly as she moved over to them. "The wolves seemed solely focused on you- at least until Aeris knocked that last one over the head."

Zack blinked. "What'd you do that for?" he asked, turning his attention back to the flower girl.

Aeris just shook her head, focusing on healing the gashes in his leg.

"You were already down, fighting with that big one," Elmyra explained. "Aeris stopped this one from joining in."

"Oh." Zack looked like he wasn't sure whether to thank her or lecture her.

"There," Aeris said, straightening up. "Good as new."

Zack tested his weight on the limb, nodding in approval. "Thanks," he said, pulling her against his chest. "I don't approve of you putting yourself in harm's way like that," he chided, holding her tightly with his free arm, "but I appreciate you having my back."

"Always," Aeris said, returning the embrace.

"I don't think we should linger here," Elmyra pointed out, gazing at the dead wolves around them.

"You're right," Zack agreed, pulling away from Aeris and wiping his sword on the wolf's fur. "The smell of blood will attract other predators and scavengers in the area. Let's go." He returned his sword to the harness on his back, turning and heading toward Kalm with confident steps. Aeris and Elmyra followed behind him, keeping their eyes on the city in the distance as they left the carcasses cooling on the hillside.

 **. . .**

The rest of the trek to Kalm was fairly uneventful, the few monsters brave enough to challenge their group easily put down by Zack's sword. It took them a bit longer than estimated to reach the city, as the women were not as used to tromping through the wilderness as the ex-SOLDIER. Even with the frequent breaks, they were all hot and tired by the time they finally reached the city gates.

The guard on duty was eyeing them warily as they approached and Zack glanced surreptitiously at his companions, taking in the group from a stranger's view. Two women and a man, entering the city on foot while carrying a picnic basket of all things- he supposed they were a rather odd sight indeed. Deciding it was better to nip this in the bud, Zack turned away from the women and sauntered over to the guardhouse with a friendly smile on his face.

"Good morning," the raven-haired ex-SOLDIER greeted cheerfully.

"Good afternoon," the guard replied, putting a subtle emphasis on the last word.

Zack chuckled. "I suppose it is," he agreed good-naturedly. "Listen, our truck broke down on the way here- can you point me to the nearest mechanic or someone with a tow truck?"

The guard's expression cleared and he gave Zack a sympathetic smile. "Follow this street to the town square," he said, pointing behind him, "then turn right. Continue on for two more blocks and then take a left. I can't remember if it's on the right or left side of the road, but you can't miss it."

"Town square, take a right, two blocks, then a left. Thanks," Zack said, nodding to the man as he turned and jogged back over to Aeris and Elmyra.

"What was that about?" Aeris asked, keeping her voice down as they continued down the street.

"Not many people travel between cities on foot," Zack explained. "That makes us memorable, which is bad for us. Telling him our truck broke down outside of town moved us from 'suspicious' to 'unlucky.' Give it a day or two and he'll have forgotten all about us."

Aeris and Elmyra just stared at him. It was almost scary how good Zack was at covering his tracks.

"Anyway," Zack said, rubbing his neck a bit self-consciously, "where are we headed?"

Elmyra shook her head, clearing the thoughts of Zack's unique skills from her mind. "The inn. It's actually down this street, just before we reach the main square," she replied.

Zack looked at her, bemused. Weren't they heading to 'uncle Shawn's' house? He shrugged, taking the basket from Aeris. If Elmyra had changed her mind about staying with family, he certainly wasn't going to object.

"I'm glad we're almost there," Aeris said. "My feet are _killing_ me."

"If you need a break, you could get back in the basket," Zack offered. "I'm sure Cloud wouldn't mind the company."

"No, it's fine," she replied, shaking her head. "We're practically there already."

"Elmyra?" Zack offered, looking at the older woman over Aeris' head.

"No, thank you," Elmyra declined. "As Aeris said, we've come this far. What's another city block or two?"

It didn't take them long to reach the inn. It was a two-story building; four large windows with faded white shutters making up the second floor while the first only had two glass double doors located at opposite ends of the building. Ivy clung to the bricks as it crawled up one side, partially covering the left most window on the top floor. A white picket fence formed a small courtyard out front, a flagstone walkway cutting across the grass lawn from each door to the road. A sign proclaiming "Twin Dragon Inn & Pub" was centered between the doorways, smaller signs labeled "Inn" and "Pub" showing which door led where. Zack raised an eyebrow at the name as they headed up to the door leading to the inn.

Elmyra entered the building first, pausing slightly as her eyes adjusted to the darker interior. A thin man with light brown hair and a bit of gray at his temples was sitting behind the counter, marking something in the ledger. He was wearing a plain button up white shirt with a blue vest and had a pair of half-moon spectacles perched on the end of his nose. He looked up as they entered, brown eyes widening and his jaw falling slack. "Ellie," he breathed, standing and hurrying around the desk with aide of a cane, his left leg crippled from an old injury.

"Hello, Shawn," Elmyra greeted, meeting him halfway and giving him a hug. "I'm sorry I didn't call beforehand."

"You should be!" he said, holding her tightly. "It's been all over the news that one of the Plates fell in Midgar- I've been trying to get a hold of you all day!" He sighed, pulling back. "Though, I can't say I blame you for running after it happened. Terrible business, what with AVALANCHE waging war against ShinRa, never mind the innocent people that get caught in the middle of it."

Elmyra just smiled sadly, not commenting on the terrorist group as she stepped back. "This is Aeris," she introduced, gesturing to the younger woman.

"Hello, Uncle Shawn," Aeris said, stepping forward and giving him a hug. "It's so nice to finally meet you face to face."

"Ah, Aeris, look how much you've grown child!" Shawn said, smiling broadly. "You were still in pigtails the last time Ellie sent me a picture of you!"

"Yes, _someone_ got a little too curious about the camera," Elmyra stated, pointedly looking at her daughter.

Aeris laughed, ducking her head a bit sheepishly.

Shawn glanced past them, noticing Zack who was still hovering uncertainly near the door. "And who might this stripling young man be?"

"This is Zack," Aeris said, pulling the ex-SOLDIER over to join the group. "He helped us get out of Midgar and protected us on the way here."

"Ah, so _this_ is the one I've heard so much about," Shawn said, grinning at Elmyra. "Shawn Lancaster, at your service," he introduced himself, holding out his hand.

Zack took it in his own. "Zack Fair. It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Lancaster," he said.

"The pleasure is all mine," the innkeeper replied. "Besides, I've heard nothing but- well, _mostly_ good things about you," he continued, his eyes darting to Elmyra again before he turned serious. "I can't thank you enough for stepping in and helping them out these last couple months- and for helping them get here, as well."

"I didn't do much, really," Zack hedged, rubbing his neck in embarrassment.

"A hard worker _and_ modest too," Shawn commented, raising an eyebrow in approval. "I think you should keep this one," he told Aeris in a stage whisper.

"You know I will!" Aeris replied, linking her arm with Zack's.

Shawn laughed. "Anyway, I know you were staying with Ellie, son, and you're welcome to stay with us for as long as you like- free of charge, of course."

"I wouldn't want to impose," Zack said as Aeris not-so-subtly elbowed him in the ribs.

"It's no imposition at all," Shawn said, waving away Zack's concern. "Though if you'd feel better with some sort of rent, I'd appreciate some help around the place. I'm not quite as young as I used to be, after all."

Zack nodded. "I can do that."

"Then, it's settled! But, where's the other one? Didn't you say he had a sick friend with him?" Shawn asked, turning to Elmyra. "You didn't leave him outside, did you?"

Elmyra rolled her eyes at the thought of leaving a sick person on the doorstep while everyone else came inside. "He's in the basket. Shawn, we've been walking for _hours_. Can we move this to somewhere we can sit down, at least?" she asked, shifting her weight to relieve the pressure on her feet.

"Oh, mercy! Why didn't you say so? Come along, this way," Shawn said, pausing by the desk to put up a 'Ring Bell for Service' sign before leading them through a door to the apartment in the back. He showed them to the living room, picking up a blanket and a few scattered papers lying haphazardly across the table and sofa. "Sorry about the mess- can I get you anything to drink?"

"Probably just some water- ours ran out some time ago," Elmyra said. Zack and Aeris nodded in agreement.

"Alright, make yourselves at home and I'll be right back."

A couch and loveseat sat perpendicular to each other in the corner with an end table and lamp between them. A recliner sat opposite the loveseat with a coffee table in the middle of the arrangement. A few pictures hung on the wall, giving the room a homey feel. Zack headed toward the couch, setting the basket on the table. He pulled his sword from its harness, leaning it against the wall before sinking down onto the soft cushions. Aeris plopped down beside him, sighing in relief.

"Remind me to _never_ take up hiking as a hobby," she said, leaning back into the couch.

Zack chuckled, sliding his arm around her shoulders. "Come on, it wasn't _that_ bad," he said, stretching his long legs out under the coffee table. "I've had plenty of missions where I had to hike for longer than that and in the _snow_ to boot."

"Uphill both ways?" Aeris asked with a grin.

Zack matched her grin with one of his own. "You know it! Fending off dragons the whole way with nothing but my bare hands!"

"Did I hear something about dragons?" Shawn asked as he walked back into the room, carrying a tray with four cups of water.

Elmyra gratefully accepted a cup. "Don't get him started," she cautioned Zack. "He'll go on all night."

" _Some_ people just don't know how to appreciate a good story," Shawn replied, handing cups to both Zack and Aeris. "What about your friend?" he asked, holding the last cup and eyeing the basket uncertainly. "He, uh, want anything to drink?"

"When's the last time Cloud had some water?" Zack asked, looking down at Aeris.

"Before we started walking," she answered.

"Probably not a bad idea to give him some, then," Zack said, draining his cup and setting it aside as he opened the lid on the basket.

Shawn watched as the younger man pulled out...a doll? He glanced at Elmyra, suddenly doubting the sanity of the raven-haired young man. Elmyra merely smiled, motioning for him to watch. Shawn turned back, noting Zack was carrying the doll with the care one would a small child, setting it on the couch before glancing at Aeris. The brunette nodded, one of her bracelets glowing and suddenly the doll grew to life-size proportions, not much smaller than Zack himself. Shawn jerked back in surprise, a bit of the water in the cup spilling over his hand.

Zack caught Cloud before he slipped off the couch, scooting him backward and turning the blonde so he could lie across the ex-SOLDIER's lap. "Alright Spiky, I know you didn't do any walking," he said, supporting Cloud's back and head with one arm as he ran his finger over the blonde's bottom lip. "But you're probably pretty thirsty by now, huh? That's right, open up."

Shawn just stared, shocked to realize what he had thought was nothing more than a doll was actually a living, _breathing_ man. Although, given the arm hanging limply where it had fallen off Zack's lap and the sightless glowing eyes staring at nothing, Shawn had to re-think his definition of 'living.' He blinked when he realized Zack was staring at him expectantly, belatedly remembering he was holding the cup of water meant for the blonde. He handed it over, having difficulty taking his eyes off the ailing young man.

Zack accepted the cup, continuing to murmur encouragements to Cloud as he poured small amounts into the blonde's mouth, waiting for him to swallow before giving him more. Once the cup was drained, Zack wiped off the extra water that had spilled out of Cloud's mouth and slid down his cheeks before shifting him to lean against the back of the couch, settling himself next to the blonde. Aeris was quick to reclaim Zack's other side, leaning her head on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry," Zack apologized, noting the innkeeper's slack expression. "I forgot how startling Cloud can be if you're not expecting it."

Shawn blinked, shaking himself out of his stupor. "No, it's fine," he said, moving to sit on the loveseat. "Ellie told me your friend was too sick to take care of himself. But...how did you do that? Make him big, I mean- and shrink him in the first place, I guess."

"Zack's materia," Aeris explained, holding up her arm so he could see the colored orbs in her bangle. "This one allows you to shrink anything and return it to its proper size later."

Shawn stared at the bracelet for a few second before shaking his head. "Just when I think I've seen it all," he muttered, sitting back in his chair. "So, what's wrong with your friend?"

"Mako poisoning."

Shawn raised an eyebrow. "I know you have no love for the company, Ellie," he began, turning toward his sister, "but wouldn't ShinRa be able to help him?" he asked.

"No," Zack interjected, his voice quiet but firm. "ShinRa won't help us." He kept his expression neutral, staring fixedly at the table.

Shawn looked a little surprised. "Didn't you used to work for ShinRa, son?" he asked. "I coulda swore Ellie said something about you being in SOLDIER..."

"Not anymore," Elmyra corrected. "Let's just say the company didn't take his resignation well."

Zack couldn't help the snort that escaped him at Elmyra's gross simplification of the situation.

Shawn glanced from Elmyra, who merely shrugged, to Zack and back again. "I think it's pretty obvious I don't have the full picture," he said slowly. "But, I suppose it's none of my business. As I said earlier, you're welcome to stay here for as long as you like. And, you'll both be happy to know this establishment has no affiliation with ShinRa- unless they're paying to spend the night in our beds, of course."

"Thanks Mr. Lancaster," Zack said, smiling as he met the older man's gaze. "We really appreciate it."

"One good turn deserves another, I always say," Shawn stated. "You've been good to my family- I'd not be much of a man if I didn't at least try to return the favor." He shifted on the couch, using his arms to move his crippled leg to a more comfortable position. "So, tell me what's been happening in Midgar- aside from reactors exploding and Plates falling, I mean. How are your flowers doing, Aeris?"

The conversation turned to more pleasant topics as the family caught up on what had happened since they last talked. Zack was content to listen, letting the words wash over him as he remembered similar gatherings with his own family. He wondered if it was safe to contact his parents yet or if the Turks were still keeping an eye on them as well. Cissnei had intercepted him when he'd tried to visit on his way to Midgar and although she'd let him go then, he wasn't sure he'd be so lucky a second time. Had she left any bugs in the house? Taps on the phone? Or did she assume he'd listen to her warning and stay away? He tiredly laid his head back, his drifting mind mulling over what he knew of Turk policies and procedures as the conversation flowing around him lulled him to sleep.

 **. . .**

Something brushed across Zack's face, the feather-soft touch tickling his nose. He shook his head slightly, hoping the movement would scare the insect away. A few seconds later it was back, ghosting across his cheek. He lifted a hand, scrunching his nose as he clumsily shooed away the bug without opening his eyes. His brow furrowed in irritation again a few seconds later as something touched his lips, forcing himself to open his eyes so he could find the insect and obliterate it. A pair of yellow eyes filled his vision, blinking in curiosity.

Startled, Zack lurched away from the way-too-close gaze, stumbling over Cloud and landing on the floor with a yelp. He glanced back at the sofa, groaning as his eyes focused on the fluffy orange tabby perched on the back of the couch. "Stupid cat," he muttered, sitting up and rubbing his elbow where it had smacked the coffee table. The feline watched him for another second or two before walking along the back of the couch and sniffing Cloud.

Shawn stuck his head through the doorway. "Are you alright, son?" he asked, noting Zack sitting on the floor. "What happened?"

Zack muttered something under his breath, shooting a dark look at the cat that was licking Cloud's ear.

"Ah, sorry about Merlyn," Shawn apologized, hobbling over and pulling the feline off the couch. It _meowed_ in protest but hung limply on the older man's arm, clearly used to being carried around like that. "He can be a little _too_ friendly, especially if ya don't like cats."

Zack shook his head, stifling a yawn. "I don't have a problem with cats," he said, pushing himself to his feet and stretching. "I'm just not used to waking up with a pair of eyes two inches from my own."

"He's a strange one, alright- likes to smell your breath," Shawn explained, setting the cat on the floor and shooing it out of the room. "Anyway, supper's on the table if you're hungry, or I can show ya to your room if you'd rather go back to sleep- the girls told me you'd been up all night."

Zack considered which he'd rather do. He was still tired, but the shot of adrenaline assured he wouldn't be able to fall back asleep for five to ten minutes and he was pretty hungry. "I think I'll eat first," he said, rubbing the grit out of his eyes. "How long was I asleep, anyway?"

"About two hours, give or take," Shawn replied, leading the way to the kitchen.

Zack followed the older man down the hallway and into a small dining area. Elmyra looked up as the two men walked into the room. "What woke you?" she asked, having heard the commotion down the hall.

"I was getting to know the cat," Zack said wryly, giving her a half grin.

She smiled knowingly at him. "Ah yes. He's definitely an odd one," she stated, rising from the table. "Well, now that you are up, I will go feed Cloud. You can sit here, I'm sure you're starving," she said, collecting the food she had set aside for the ailing blond.

Zack nodded at her in appreciation. "Thank you," he said, referring to both her help with Cloud and the chair at the table.

Aeris was already dishing a plate for him from a large pan as he took his seat. "Did you sleep well?' she asked, handing him the plate.

"Could've used a few more hours," he admitted, picking up his fork as he curiously eyed the lumpy pile on his plate. "And the couch was comfortable enough I suppose, though my neck hasn't quite forgiven me for falling asleep in that position."

"It seems like you can sleep almost anywhere," she said, laughing lightly. "That has to be a useful skill."

"In some situations more than others," he agreed, taking a bite. He blinked in surprise, chewing slowly as he stared down at the noodles and meatballs swimming in white sauce on his plate. Months on the run without opportunities to pick up supplies for fear of being recognized in town had done wonders to cure Zack of any pickiness he may have had when it came to food. More than once, he and Cloud had lived on the remains of whatever monsters were in the area at the time, using a fire materia to cook the [sometimes questionable] innards of the beasts. This dish, though a far cry from monster meat, was still different enough from the normal food Zack was used to eating that he automatically categorized it as 'food to be eaten, not necessarily enjoyed.' The first bite proved how wrong he was. "This is really good," he said, eagerly scooping up another bite. "What it is?"

"Svenska kottbullar, or something like that," Shawn answered. He'd been watching the younger man closely, expecting some hesitation at the foreign dish. "Enid, my cook, isn't from around here. I have to admit, I had my reservations about hiring her the first time she made me this- until she convinced me to try it, at least." He smiled fondly at the memory. "Still, I have to wonder what they feed you people in SOLDIER. Even I thought this looked a bit scary and, politeness aside, you didn't even flinch."

Zack let out a laugh, thinking on some of the more questionable meals he and Cloud had survived on a few months prior. "Well...when you're on a mission that goes south, cut off from your team and several days from any sort of civilization, not to mention having lost all your supplies earlier... Let's just say you get a bit creative when it comes to meals," he hedged, grinning as he took another bite.

Shawn looked intrigued. "Creative how?" he asked curiously.

Zack took a moment to finish chewing and swallow what was in his mouth. "Basically by eating pretty much whatever you can find," he answered, shrugging. "Flame roasted wyerd, thunderbird-on-a-spit, abyss worm soup- which I would _not_ recommend, by the way."

"Oh? That bad?"

"Well, yeah, but..." Zack shook his head. "I was stuck in a monster infested area with diarrhea for _two days_. Gives whole new meaning to the phrase 'caught with your pants down,' I can tell you that."

Shawn laughed while Aeris looked on disapprovingly. "Not at the table, Zack," she admonished.

"Sorry," he apologized, finishing off what was on his plate and getting seconds. "Still, you'll have to pass my compliments on to Enid. This is delicious."

"She is a good cook," Aeris agreed. "Though, I suppose it helps that you're really hungry. I don't think that cold soup this morning can even be considered food."

"Hey! I had lunch," Zack protested in between bites.

"Two pieces of bread is not lunch," Aeris pointed out. "We could have shared what was left of the cheese."

Zack shrugged, more intent on eating than arguing semantics with the flower girl.

"You guys must have been traveling light and pretty quickly to get here as fast as you did," Shawn commented, leaning back in his chair. "Well, obviously light- the only thing you were carrying when you got here was that basket."

"We brought a few things with us- mainly clothes and such," Aeris stated. "They're still shrunken in the basket."

"That's good," Shawn said, nodding. "How did you get here so fast, though? I mean, I know you left in the middle of the night, but if Midgar is anything like Kalm, the outer gates are closed at night, right? And, you said you'd been walking for hours before you got here..."

Aeris faltered, glancing at Zack. The ex-SOLDIER's mind raced, chewing slowly to give himself time to think of an answer. He swallowed, looking up to meet the innkeeper's gaze. "I got us a...let's say, _unconventional_ ride out of Midgar," he hedged, sticking as close to the truth as he was comfortable. "One that didn't use the city gates, but couldn't bring us all the way to Kalm."

Shawn raised an eyebrow at the vague answer but decided not to push. If Zack didn't want to give him the details, that was his business. "I don't mean to pry," he started, noting the way ex-SOLDIER tensed, "but would I be right in assuming you don't want ShinRa to know where you are?"

Zack's muscles remained taut, though his brow furrowed slightly. "What gives you that idea?" he asked, feigning indifference.

"Well, the way you tense whenever the company is mentioned, for one," Shawn said frankly. "Don't worry, I don't have any intention of turning you in," he assured the younger man. "But... Did you know Aeris was being watched?"

"By the Turks, yeah."

Shawn waited to see if Zack understood what that meant. When Zack didn't say anything more, he went on. "I don't know why they're after her, but I very much doubt they'd just let her walk out of there."

Zack shook his head, turning his attention back to his food. "They didn't see her leave," he stated firmly, taking a bite.

Shawn looked a little surprised.

"Zack shrank me and mom before leaving the house," Aeris explained.

"Surely they'll come looking for him when they realize you're gone?" Shawn asked.

Aeris shook her head. "Zack made sure he wasn't seen by anyone in ShinRa the entire time he was staying with us," she explained. "They didn't even know he was there."

"But, the Turks..."

"Zack can be very sneaky when he wants to be," Aeris said, grinning broadly.

Shawn stared at Zack with a new appreciation. Unofficially, everyone knew the Turks took care of ShinRa's dirty work. Not only had the ex-SOLDIER snuck a person of interest out of the city right beneath their noses, but he'd also been living in the same house for two months without even being seen. He shook his head, wondering at this man his niece had attached herself too. "It seems you're a man of many talents, Mr. Fair," he stated, smiling. "I've been trying to get Ellie to move here for years- she always said she was afraid ShinRa would take Aeris away if they tried to leave Midgar, but I think she was just too stubborn to leave," he said conspiratorially.

"I heard that!" Elmyra called from the other room.

Shawn chuckled, glancing fondly toward the doorway. "Now," he said, turning his attention back to Zack. "I know I mentioned this earlier, but as you were apparently half asleep, according to Aeris, I'll say it again. You and your friend are welcome to stay here for as long as you want or need. I'll be happy for the company- since my Ruthie passed, it has just been me and old Merlyn. And the guests, of course." He reached for his glass of water, taking a drink. "Kalm is a quiet town, and the people are friendly for the most part. We get a lot of import and supply traffic, being on the coast, and that can bring some shady characters now and then, but they don't usually stay too long. Ellie is thinking about starting up her mending business here, maybe with a bit of seamstress work on the side. I don't know if you have anything planned, but I could use a handyman around the inn if you are interested."

"Thank you sir," Zack said, swallowing the last of his food and sitting back contentedly. "I appreciate your hospitality and I'd be happy to help out any way I can. I'm not much good with machines," he said, glancing sidelong at Aeris, "but I know my way around leaky faucets and things like that."

"Then it's settled," Shawn said, clapping his hands together. "I have a list I'll get you started on tomorrow- nothing big, just a lot of little things. I don't get around as well as I used to," he said, tapping the cane hanging off the chair behind him. His eyes went a bit distant, one hand rubbing his leg unconsciously. "It's been almost ten years, but I can still remember it like it was yesterday," he stated. "Nasty business, dealing with dragons."

"Shawn, don't start with those old stories or we'll be up half the night," Elmyra interrupted, coming back into the dining area with empty dishes from Cloud's dinner. "We've had a long trip getting here. Your fishing stories will have to wait."

Aeris giggled, looking from Shawn to Elmyra and back again.

"Fishing stories?" the innkeeper repeated, a crooked grin on his face. "Ellie, I do believe your memory is failing you. It was on a _hunting_ excursion, not a fishing trip."

"True," Elmyra agreed, gathering up everyone's dishes. "But the fish you caught gets bigger every time you tell the story."

Shawn placed a hand to his chest, feigning injury. "You wound me with your words, dear sister. Would I exaggerate the events leading to my crippled state?"

"In a heartbeat," Elmyra deadpanned.

"Are they always like this?" Zack whispered to Aeris.

"Pretty much," Aeris replied. "It can be really entertaining once they get going."

Elmyra stopped next to Zack, looking down at his almost clean plate. "Did you get enough to eat?" she asked, studying him with a critical eye. "You didn't eat much on the trip over."

"Yes ma'am," Zack replied promptly, sitting up straight in his chair. Although he'd grown much more comfortable in her presence, certain looks made him feel like an errant schoolboy who'd been sent to the principal's office. "I had two helpings. It was wonderful."

"Enid- and her culinary skills -seems to be my brother's saving grace," Elmyra said, a smile playing about her lips as she took Zack's plate. "Shawn would have starved to death years ago if she weren't around."

"Now, Ellie, I'm a decent cook in my own right and you know it!" Shawn retorted, a mischievous light in his eye.

"Only as long as the directions include, 'boil water,' and 'add packet,'" Elmyra quipped. "Even then, I seem to recall an incident with the smoke detector because... How did you put it? The water hadn't been fully absorbed, or something like that?"

Aeris and Zack shared a look as the two siblings argued playfully. The light-hearted banter was fun to listen to and set a relaxed and comfortable mood in the apartment.

"Sir," Zack began, getting Shawn's attention as Elmyra and Aeris carried the dishes to the kitchen. "Are there any good doctors in town? I'd like to get a professional opinion on Cloud's condition."

Shawn leaned back in his chair, thinking about the question. "We have a few clinics here," he said after a moment. "Though any major injuries are shipped to Midgar. Don't know if they can do anything for your friend, but it wouldn't hurt to ask. And, as we don't have a reactor here, ShinRa's influence is minimal at best. No one's going to stand up for you if a squad of troopers comes through, but they won't call and report you, either."

"Thanks," Zack said, smiling at the older man. "I'll look into it tomorrow."

"Shawn," Elmyra said, coming back into the room. "Is there any reason a young lady is insisting she wash the dishes in your kitchen?"

"Hm? Oh, it's Thursday, isn't it?" he asked, although he didn't wait for a reply. "Enid's niece is saving up for school, so I gave her a job helping her aunt, but she can only work Thursday through Saturday."

"You are positively spoiled here," Elmyra stated, shaking her head.

The older man just grinned, a glint coming back to his eye. "Well, a man can't be bothered with menial housework when he has an inn to run, now can he? Always lots to work to do around here."

"The same work you've asked Zack to do for you?" Elmyra countered with a raised eyebrow.

"That too," he agreed. "Anyway, I know you're all tired, so I won't keep you up any longer. Come a long and I'll show you to your rooms," he said, leading them back to the hallway. "I'm afraid you'll have to double up- I only have three bedrooms in my apartment."

"That's alright, Cloud and I were sharing a room before," Zack assured the older man. They stopped by the living room, Aeris retrieving and unshrinking their bags while Zack helped Cloud. He hefted the blonde up on one shoulder, helping him walk down the hall. Zack didn't know about the others, but his nap didn't seem to do much but make him realize just how tired he was. As soon as Cloud was settled in their room, the ex-SOLDIER was going right back to sleep.

 **. . .**

 **To Be Continued**

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	11. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Zack was a bit surprised by how easily he fell into a routine at the Twin Dragon. The major project of the first week was repairing a couple leaks in the roof over one of the guest rooms, which was currently out of use. After that, he replaced the damaged ceiling tiles, a few missing shingles outside, re-painted the shutters and cut away the vines in front of the window, although Shawn didn't want them pulled off the wall entirely. He even found enough time while running to the hardware store for supplies to stop by a few of the clinics in town. Although it was a productive week for do-it-yourself projects, all the nurses and physicians Zack talked to told him the same thing: all cases of mako poisoning would be shipped straight to Midgar. The staff simply didn't have the training to help afflicted patients. ShinRa had the corner on that market and guarded it closely. Considering mako was a prime ingredient in turning regular people into enhanced members of SOLDIER, Zack wasn't too surprised.

The second week passed as quickly as the first, the majority of Zack's days being spent re-tiling two of the guest bathrooms while stopping by the remaining doctors' offices in his free time. Thursday afternoon he made it to the last clinic, only to hear the same thing he had at every other one in town. The best they could do to help him would be to provide a ride to Midgar with a referral to a ShinRa approved specialist. Thanking them for their time, Zack left the clinic and headed back to the inn.

Zack idly kicked a rock on the sidewalk in front of him, watching it skitter across the concrete. He knew chances were slim that he'd find someone so close to ShinRa's base of power, but the setback was still disheartening just the same. The question now was where to look next. It needed to be an outlying area, rich in mako but without a strong ShinRa presence. A memory bubbled to the surface of his mind, green tendrils of unprocessed mako rising out of the broken ground in the destroyed remains of Banora flashing before his eyes. Surely, there would be a doctor there who had dealt with mako poisoning before in an area like that. Banora was gone, but perhaps Mideel would have what he needed...

Zack was drawn from his musings by a familiar pink ribbon holding back a ponytail of light brown hair up ahead of him on the street. He smiled, quickening his pace to catch up with Aeris. His brow furrowed when she stopped, glancing down an alleyway before heading into it. Wondering what could have caught her attention, Zack jogged to the head of the alley where she had disappeared.

Aeris was standing about ten feet in, staring at a pipe running up the wall- or, more accurately, the faintly glowing green tendrils escaping from a weak joint in the line about shoulder height. The wisps curled lazily on the air currents before disappearing altogether, the slow leak releasing another strand or two of the shimmering vapor to replace them.

"Don't touch that," Zack cautioned as Aeris lifted a hand toward the translucent streams. "There's probably not enough there to cause any serious damage, but you should avoid touching mako with your bare hands if you can."

"Mako?" Aeris repeated, turning to face the ex-SOLDIER standing at the mouth of the alley. "That's...mako?"

"Yeah." Zack folded his arms, leaning against the wall. "You never seen it before?" he asked, tilting his head to the side curiously.

Aeris shook her head, her gaze drawn back to the glowing green mist.

Zack glanced back to the winding tendrils as well, letting his eyes trace the fading trails through the air. It was a mesmerizing sight, like watching smoke curl from the wick of a blown out candle. This sight, however, brought back memories of the last time Zack had seen it. He was back in the labs watching the green haze dissipate in the air, evaporating from their skin and clothes once he had broken both him and Cloud out of the mako tanks... Zack shook the memories away, forcefully bringing his attention back to the present. "We should get going," he said, pushing himself away from the wall.

Aeris nodded almost absently, watching the mako for a few seconds longer before turning and following Zack back out to the street.

"So, what's in there?" Zack asked, nodding to the basket on her arm.

"Hm? Oh, just some sewing supplies mom wanted me to pick up," Aeris answered distractedly. "She didn't bring any of hers with her when we left Midgar."

"Oh yeah, she said she was going to start her sewing business again." Zack folded his arms, gazing up at the sky contemplatively. Elmyra was happily putting down roots, but Aeris still seemed a bit lost. Not that he could blame her- fleeing her home in the middle of the night, being forced to leave everything she had ever known behind, had to be hard. "What about you?" he asked, glancing over at her. "Have you decided what you want to do yet?"

Aeris shook her head. "I've never really been good at anything but growing flowers," she admitted.

"Well, why don't you try growing some here?" he suggested. "The soil seems much better than it is in Midgar. You'll grow tons of them and then you can open your own shop!"

She smiled at his enthusiasm. "I think Kalm has enough florist shops," she stated, glancing pointedly at a vendor selling flowers across the street.

"Perhaps, but I'll bet yours would be the best in town."

Aeris giggled softly, shaking her head. "What about you?" she asked, changing the subject. "Are you going to be uncle Shawn's handyman from now on? With how he's been raving about your work, I'm sure he'd be happy to pay you."

The smile fell from Zack's face. "Actually," he said slowly, "I think I'm gonna leave in the next day or two- me and Cloud." He kept his gaze straight ahead, not wanting to see Aeris' reaction to the declaration.

Aeris started in surprise, falling a step or two behind as she stared at him. "Leaving?" she asked, hurrying to catch back up. "Leaving where? Why?"

Zack sighed, shaking his head. "Cloud's not getting better," he said. "I thought maybe he just needed time, or a chance to recover without being constantly on the run, but..." He ran a hand through his hair. "I need to find a doctor to look at him, someone who has some experience with mako poisoning but without any ties to ShinRa. I've checked all the clinics in town, but there's no one here that fits the bill. I've gotta look somewhere else, much farther away from Midgar."

"Mako..." Aeris repeated softly, thinking back to the leaking pipe. "I think...a doctor may not be able to help Cloud."

Zack's expression darkened, his stony gaze remaining on the road ahead of them. "Why's that?" he asked, his voice carefully neutral.

"It's just..." Aeris sighed, trying to figure out the best way to explain it. "I can't be sure- I've never seen it for myself, just heard stories -but I think that what ShinRa refers to as mako is actually part of the Lifestream."

Zack blinked, completely thrown by her non sequitur answer. "What?"

"My...birth mother used to tell me stories," Aeris began. "About the Lifestream- the river of life the circles our planet, giving life to the world and everything in it. Plants and animals, humans and monsters- everything is born from the Lifestream and returns to the Planet when it dies," she explained. "Like I said, I've never seen it myself, but how she described it- the winding streams twisting together through the air as though dancing to a music we can't hear, the gentle green glow so full of life, the voice of the Planet calling from within-"

"Wait," Zack said, stopping her with a hand on her arm and turning her to face him. "Voice of the Planet?" he asked. "You heard the Planet's voice from the mako?"

Aeris looked away, perplexed; her brow furrowing as she tried to put it into words. "Maybe?" she answered, not sounding too sure herself. "It was really faint and hard to make out, more like a quiet murmur in the background- almost like too many people all talking at once in a room down the hall, I guess."

Zack nodded slowly, taking a moment to process that. His girlfriend heard the voice of the Planet from glowing green mist. Given everything he had seen in the last eight or nine years, it shouldn't have surprised him quite as much as it did. Perhaps that was because everything he had seen had been the result, both directly and indirectly, of scientists playing at being gods. Aeris, on the other hand, had been born with her abilities.

Zack chuckled wryly, realizing neither one of them was really normal. He had so many enhancements he could practically see in the dark, he could hear her heart beat while standing next to her- a little fast, probably nervous because he was taking so long to reply -and he was strong enough that he could suplex a train. She, apparently, could grow flowers where nothing else would grow, hear the voice of the Planet and do whatever other Ancient-y things that the Ancients used to do. What a pair they made.

"Zack?" Aeris asked nervously. She wasn't quite sure what reaction she had been expecting, but that almost bitter laughter wasn't it.

Zack shook his head, clearing his thoughts. "Sorry," he apologized, flashing her a grin. "Just...really wasn't expecting that, I guess. Not your fault- I mean what sort of warning can you give to prepare for something like that?" he asked easily, shrugging off the weirdness of the situation. "So, you can hear the Planet? What does it say?"

Aeris returned his smile, feeling something unclench in her chest. Her abilities as a Cetra- what little she knew about them, anyway -had been a closely guarded secret of hers for as long as she could remember. She didn't know what she would have done if Zack had rejected her because of it. "I can't really understand it very well. At first I thought it was because I was only half-Cetra, because I only ever heard it when I was tending the flowers in the church. However, since leaving Midgar, I can hear it almost all the time, but it's still difficult to make out. There are also so many voices that I can't really distinguish one from another."

"I guess that makes sense, in a way," Zack said pensively. "If mako is actually this Lifestream thing, it would be more difficult to hear the voices in Midgar because they have eight reactors pumping it out."

Aeris blinked. "You're right," she said slowly as the realization dawned on her. "I can't believe I never realized it before..."

"Well, you'd never seen mako before or left Midgar either, so it's not really unusual that you didn't connect the dots," Zack pointed out. "So you're half...what did you call yourself?"

"Cetra," Aeris answered. "It's what we called ourselves, before our name was lost in history and the scholars labeled us as the Ancients."

"Cetra," Zack repeat, rolling the name on his tongue. "Yeah, it sounds a lot better than Ancients," he agreed. "Okay, so mako is actually Lifestream and you're half-Cetra, which means you can hear the voice of the Planet, but can't really understand what it's saying," he summarized, getting the conversation back on track. "Can I ask what all of this has to do with not being able to find a doctor to help Cloud?"

"Well, there's nothing physically wrong with him, so I don't think a regular doctor can help," she explained. "It must be some sort of reaction with the Lifestream itself."

"So what are you saying? That there's nothing we can do?"

Aeris shook her head. "I think we need to find an expert on the Lifestream."

The use of a plural pronoun did not escape Zack's attention. "We?" he asked, raising an eyebrow as his mouth softened in a smile. "You planning on tagging along for the ride?"

"Of course!" Aeris said decisively. "I'm not letting you run off on your own- we both know you're not very good at staying in touch and I don't think I can wait another five years!"

Zack laughed, slinging an arm around her shoulders. "Alright, so you're coming to keep an eye on me. Fair enough, I suppose. Any idea where we're supposed to find said expert on the Lifestream?"

"Probably the city renowned for their Study of Planet Life," Aeris answered, her smile just a touch smug. "Cosmo Canyon."

 **. . .**

Elmyra was shocked the next morning when Zack announced his intentions to leave, although Aeris' declaration that she was going with him wasn't surprising. However, once she recovered from the initial surprise, she had taken it in stride. Digging out an old map, she suggested the young couple plan out their route while she renovated the inside of the basket where Cloud, and on occasion Aeris, would be riding.

Shawn hadn't been too surprised when Zack told him they'd be leaving in a day or two, merely raised an eyebrow at the last-minute notice. He had tried to give them some money but Zack declined, saying the innkeeper had already done enough by putting them up for the last two weeks. Shawn gave it to Aeris instead while Zack was out purchasing supplies. He winked when he told her it was to help pay for either their trip or elopement- whichever they needed it for first.

Zack was heading back from the grocery store, numerous bags full of non-perishables hanging from both arms when he saw the navy blue suit. It was a woman, a young blonde that he didn't recognize. She was sitting at a table in an outside café across the street, one hand supporting her chin as she idly scanned the people walking down the street. Their eyes met, staring at each other for several long seconds before her attention was drawn by another navy suit- this one a man with long dark hair that reached past his shoulders. He pulled out the chair next to her, sitting down as Zack ducked around the corner. Although he hadn't seen the blonde before, he recognized Tseng easily. As soon as the ex-SOLDIER had broken line of sight, he ran for all he was worth.

Zack cut down back alleys, jumped fences, zig-zagged through city blocks and even ran along the rooftops at one point, doing everything he could to shake off any pursuit. The Turks could blend in incredibly well when the situation called for it and Zack wasn't taking any chances. After about twenty minutes of running around town, he carefully made his way back to the inn. He entered through the back, dumping his groceries on the kitchen table. He cringed slightly as the cans _thunked_ together loudly, mentally thanking Elmyra for offering to bake them several loaves for their trip. He didn't think the bread would have survived his mad dash through the city.

Zack found Aeris in the room she shared with Elmyra, packing her clothes. He knocked on the door frame, getting her attention. "There's been a _slight_ change of plans," he said, stepping into the room. "The Turks are in Kalm and one of them saw me."

"Do they know we're here?" she asked, a partially folded shirt in her hands as she gave Zack her full attention.

Zack shook his head. "They saw me on my way back from the grocery store, but I made sure they didn't follow me here," he stated. "However, I think we'll want to leave as soon as possible, before dawn if we can. And, I don't think we should go through the Mythril mines- too easy to leave a trail. We'll head straight for Junon, instead."

"But how are we going to get over the mountains? The stables don't have any mountain chocobo to rent," Aeris pointed out. "It'll take us at least a week to cross on foot, plus however long to walk to Junon once we reach the other side."

Zack folded his arms, staring pensively at the floor. "We'll need to move much faster than we can on foot, and I don't want to let the Turks know we left by renting any chocobo." He sighed, shaking his head. "As much as I'd like to keep a low profile, I think we're gonna have to fly to Junon. From there, we'll stick to the plan- take the boat to Costa Del Sol and rent chocobo there to take us to Cosmo Canyon."

"Are you sure you'll be alright flying all the way to Junon?" Aeris asked. "That's an awfully long trip..."

Zack shrugged. "I'll be fine. Besides, if I get tired, I'll land and we can walk for a bit."

"Okay," Aeris said, nodding. "I'm almost finished packing."

They said their goodbyes early the following morning, wanting to get out of Kalm as early as possible. Elmyra teared up as she hugged them, cautioning them to be careful and to call when they reached Junon. Shawn was a bit more reserved, shaking Zack's hand and reminding him the Twin Dragon's door was always open to him. Thanking Shawn and Elmyra both for their hospitality and promising to keep in touch, Zack picked up the basket with Cloud- and their supplies -and headed down the street, Aeris at his side.

Zack checked the time as they neared the city gates, estimating another thirty to forty-five minutes before sunrise. He motioned for Aeris to wait as he sauntered over to the guardhouse.

"Good morning," Zack greeted cheerfully.

"It'll be better when my relief gets here," the guard grumbled, tiredly resting his chin in his palm. "What has you up at his unholy hour of the morning?"

"Well, my girlfriend really wants to watch the sunrise over the ocean so I packed a special breakfast just for the occasion," he said, lifting the basket slightly. He glanced back over his shoulder, smiling at Aeris and offering a small wave. "And, uh, if the mood is right," he continued, lowering his voice as he leaned forward conspiratorially, "I'd like to pop the question." He grinned, eyes bright in anticipation as he patted his pocket a bit nervously.

The guard chuckled, pushing his chair back as he stood. "If you're willing to get up early enough to put together something like this, she had better say yes," he commented, exiting the guardhouse. "Come on over here. I can't open the main gates until 6:00, but I can unlock the maintenance entrance for you."

Zack grinned again, motioning Aeris over and following the guard to a door little ways off to the side of the main gates. It took a few tries before he found the right key and he held the door open for them, quietly wishing Zack luck as he passed by. The door was promptly closed and locked behind them.

Aeris giggled once they were a little ways away. "You know, I didn't really think you'd be able to convince the guard to open the gate for us this early in the morning," she stated. "What did you tell him?"

"Only that I wanted to propose to you on the beach at sunrise," Zack said. "People tend to be a bit more accommodating for things like that."

She was a bit surprised by his audacity. "What would you have done if he had asked to see the ring?" she asked.

"Aeris, girls ask to see rings. Guys just slap each other on the back," he said, waving away her concerns.

"But if he had?"

"Then I'd...I don't know, say I didn't want to risk you seeing it accidentally or make you suspicious about what was taking so long or something." He shrugged. "I'm pretty good about thinking on my feet."

"Isn't another way of saying you tend not to think things through in the first place?" she wondered.

"Hey!"

She giggled again, slipping her arm through his. "So, how far away do you think we need to be?"

Zack looked back over his shoulder, studying the city carefully. He nodded after a moment, coming to a stop. "This should probably be far enough. I want to be out of sight before the sun comes up and we don't have much time left."

Aeris nodded, releasing his arm and stepping away from him as her the materia in her bracelet glowed and she started shrinking. Once she was done, Zack carefully put her in the basket, waiting as she got herself situated.

Elmyra had added padding to the bottom and sides, leaving bits of yarn sticking out all over to serve as handholds during turbulence, as she called it, as well as numerous small pillows and a couple blankets for extra cushioning. Zack tried not to take it personally, reminding himself that no matter how careful he was, it was impossible to hold the basket perfectly still at all times. Cloud's own bed had raised edges- also padded -to keep him from accidentally falling out of it and was attached to one side of the basket. Elmyra had also put a divider in, sectioning off a small portion at the end for their bags and equipment so it wasn't being jostled around with the occupants.

Once Aeris was settled, Zack closed the basket and focused on his wing. It took him a couple tries before it burst from his back, making him wince slightly at the sound of cloth ripping. Making a mental note to figure out a solution to that later, he pulled a compass from his pocket and checked his position. Adjusting his course a bit more to the left, he replaced it in his pocket, picked up the basket and leapt into the sky.

He stayed between thirty and forty feet above the ground for the first hour, using the shadowed mountains in the distance to obscure himself from view until he was sure he was out of sight of the city walls. The sun was leaving the horizon when Zack noticed a cloud of dust steadily getting closer. He glanced down, cursing softly as he realized his course had brought him uncomfortably close to the road and beat his wing almost frantically to gain altitude. He kept an eye on the car until it passed by him and continued on down the road, never once slowing. Breathing a sigh of relief, the ex-SOLDIER resolved to be more mindful of his surroundings. A quick glance over his shoulder revealed he was well beyond visibility of anyone not enhanced, and probably a number of SOLDIER Second and Third class, as well. Nodding to himself, he decided it was safe to stay at the higher altitude, periodically checking his course against the compass as the miles flew by.

 **. . .**

Monday afternoon found Zack touching down at the edge of a forest a little ways outside of Junon. He set the basket down after a quick survey to make sure no monsters were waiting to attack and closed his eyes, focusing on pulling his wing in as he heard Aeris climbing out of the basket. It was easier than it had been before, only taking him a couple tries to make it disappear. He shuddered as whatever it was shifted beneath his skin again, really starting to understand why Angeal and Genesis preferred to keep their wings out all the time. Unnerving didn't even begin to cover it.

"You know, if you wanted to, you could probably open your own shop," Aeris quipped, kneeling next to the pile of feathers Zack had shed and idly twirling one in her fingers. "Selling specialty feather dusters or something."

Zack shook his head. "Nah, no one wants to buy black feather dusters- they'd always look dirty."

"True," Aeris agreed, running her finger along the smooth edge of the vane. "And these are so glossy, too. Well, I'm sure we can come up with some use for them."

Zack laughed. "Come on, you can think of various way to use me as your meal ticket while we walk- I'd like to reach Junon before nightfall."

It took them just under an hour to reach the lower city, Zack striding with purpose past the run-down buildings and grimy street corners. Aeris was reminded of the Midgar slums, the residents all either watching them warily or ignoring their existence altogether.

It didn't take them more than ten minutes to reach the steel doors holding the elevator platform that would take them to the upper city. The trooper guarding the entrance, however, posed another problem altogether.

Not wanting to kill the trooper and be done with it- mostly due to the security camera blinking down at him -Zack put on his most winning smile and sauntered up to the guard.

Several minutes later- and one thousand gil poorer -Aeris and Zack climbed onto the platform, holding onto the rail as it started moving up.

Zack stared disgruntledly at the floor. "Can you believe that guy? Talk about kicking a person when he's down!"

Aeris laughed softly, trying to stifle it behind her hand. "What did you expect when you told him you'd 'snuck you and your girlfriend out and were trying to get back before the CO caught you'?" she asked.

"A little sympathy from a fellow member of ShinRa," Zack complained. "Or, barring that, a little more respect for SOLDIER! I _know_ he recognized the uniform- I even dug out the belt!"

"Perhaps he might have been a _little_ more accommodating- if you had a better excuse for not having your ID." Aeris shook her head. "A hazing gone wrong that ended up with your badge being _melted_ by bizarre bug acid?"

"Hey! That actually happened to me!" Zack said defensively.

Aeris really was trying not to smile. "At least we got in," she offered, managing to sound more or less sincere instead of like she was trying not to laugh.

"Highway robbery is what that was," Zack grumbled. "I know troopers don't make that much, but SOLDIERs aren't much better off, either."

Aeris took a deep breath, holding it for a few seconds before letting it out, although she couldn't quite wipe the smile off her face. She'd had no idea Zack could be such a sore loser, especially over something as ridiculous as this. "So, you couldn't talk him into letting us in for free. We're here- isn't that what's important?"

"It's the principle of the matter," Zack insisted. "We have the cash to spare- what about the next unfortunate person that falls victim to this...this... _opportunistic thief?_ " he asked, sending a dark glare down the shaft behind them.

Aeris bit her lip, her shoulders shaking with silent laughter. "Well, I guess the next fugitive trying to sneak into the city without any ID will be on his own," she stated after a moment. "You don't need to sulk about it."

Zack spun to face her, a scandalized expression on his face. "I'm not _sulking_ ," he denied, stunned she'd even suggest such a thing.

Aeris gave him a patronizing smile.

"I'm not," he insisted petulantly.

"For what it's worth," she said, slipping her arm through his and standing on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek, "I think you're cute when you sulk."

Zack simply stared at her for several long seconds, his jaw working but no sound escaping his throat. Realizing he wasn't going to convince her otherwise- and any further arguments would only cement the false accusation in her mind -he figuratively threw his hands up, surrendering with a deep, heart-felt sigh. Aeris patting his arm consolingly was practically adding insult to the injury. Fortunately, his pride was a rather resilient thing and could weather a beating or two, even if it was at the hands of his girlfriend.

The streets of upper Junon were filled with a flurry of activities. Platoons of troopers were practicing drills and marching, shop owners were cleaning their windows or putting a fresh coat of paint on their stores, and someone was riding on a machine that seemed to be scrubbing the sidewalk. Zack kept a hold of Aeris' hand as he maneuvered past the various groups, cutting down several back alleys until he found a street not quite as busy as the rest to re-stock their supplies.

They stopped by the bakery first, Aeris looking over the loaves of bread while Zack chatted with the baker.

"So, what's going on out there?" Zack asked, leaning against the counter as he nodded toward the front of the shop. "We just got into town."

"Ah, the new President ShinRa is coming into town tomorrow," the shopkeeper explained. "They're gonna have a parade in his honor. People want to make a good impression, so they're cleaning up the place real nice. This street isn't on the route though, so no one's botherin' with it."

"New President ShinRa?" Zack repeated. "Rufus? He's the president now? When did that happen?"

"Aye, he inherited the company four or five days ago."

"What happened to his old man?" Zack asked.

The baker looked at Zack a little strangely. "He was assassinated," he answered. "Killed in his own office in ShinRa tower."

Zack was shocked. Someone had either managed to infiltrate ShinRa tower and made it all the way to the top floor, or launched a full-scale assault and succeeded in overcoming their defenses. Genesis and his SOLDIER army of clones hadn't even been that successful when he'd tried it years ago. "Do they know who did it?" he asked.

The baker shook his head. "Nah. Some folks say it was AVALANCHE, but it don't seem their style. They like to blow things sky-high, and the tower is still standing. Others say it had to be a Wutai ninja, seeking revenge for the war. I say that's poppycock. Why now, when the war ended, what, seven years ago?" He shrugged before lowering his voice. "Between you and me, though, I think whoever did it might be in town."

"What makes you say that?" Zack asked, unconsciously lowering his own voice as well.

"I hear the Turks are on the killer's trail," he said. "And my wife said she saw two of 'em strolling down the street like they owned it when she was out running errands today. A redhead with a long ponytail and a bald guy wearing sunglasses, both dressed in navy blue suits."

"Sounds like the Turks alright," Zack agreed, keeping his voice level even as his heartbeat skyrocketed. Reno and Rude would recognize either one of them on sight.

"Zack," Aeris called, pulling his attention away from the baker. "Is five loaves too much?" she asked, holding the bread in question in her arms. "They're just all so soft, I couldn't decide which ones to get..."

"Five loaves is fine," he assured her. "If it tastes half as good as it smells, I can guarantee it won't last long enough to go stale."

The shopkeeper straightened up a bit at the compliment, smiling broadly as Aeris set the loaves on the counter.

Zack raised an eyebrow at two of the loaves. "Cheese bread? And what's on this one...pineapple?"

"Do you mind?" Aeris asked, looking at him with large, pleading eyes. "They both sounded really good and they're so fresh..."

Zack laughed. "We can get them if you want," he said, slinging an arm around her shoulders and kissing her temple. "Anything that makes you happy."

Aeris shrunk the bread after they left the store, slipping it into the basket. Zack gave her a quick rundown on the situation as they hurried on to a grocery store, stocking up on water bottles, non-perishables and dried meats.

Once they had re-supplied, Zack took Aeris hand again as he ducked down more alleyways and side-streets, quickly making his way to the harbor. The sooner they were out of the open, the better.

The port was just as busy as the main city streets, cleaning crews washing the salt from the docks, men adding a new coat of wax to the ships and cranes and forklifts moving crates of cargo into warehouses. A few helpful crewmen pointed Zack to the harbormaster's office, where he could inquire about passage to Costa Del Sol.

As it turned out, the only ship headed that way departed as soon as the new President ShinRa boarded it after the parade tomorrow. They could board tonight or early in the morning, but they had to be on board and in their rooms before the president set foot on the docks.

Zack could think of so many things that could go wrong, but he didn't want to raise any suspicions by suddenly changing his mind. The whole city seemed to be going crazy trying to make a good impression on Rufus and even the harbormaster acted like he was doing Zack a huge favor by letting him ride on the same boat. Reluctantly handing over enough money to buy passage for two, he was given two tickets and directed toward the largest, flashiest ship in the harbor.

It didn't take them long to reach the boat and even less time to irritate a naval officer by wandering onto the deck. Their tickets stopped the man's tirade, earning them a tight-lipped silence in its place as he escorted them to their quarters, strongly recommending they not leave their room until after the ship had set sail the following day.

The room was rather small, the military grade bunk bed to the left of the door taking up an entire wall and leaving about five feet of space between it and the other wall. A dark brown dresser was situated beneath the porthole giving them a lovely view of the barnacles and spots of rust on the ship moored beside theirs. The wall opposite the bed had two doors on it, one hiding the closet and the other leading to a rather Spartan bathroom with a sink, toilet and shower stall. Overall, Zack felt the room had a more military feel than the luxury liner it was supposed to be. It seemed quite a few expenses were spared for the coach accommodations.

Aeris moved over to sit on the bottom bunk, the mattress creaking softly beneath her weight. "Well this is...cozy," she said hesitantly.

Zack gave her a half grin, setting the basket on the floor in the corner. "Don't worry- I know the room's a bit small, but it's only a two day trip. And who could say no to a hot shower?" he asked, fishing her bag out of the basket and tossing it to her.

"Mm, that does sound nice," Aeris agreed, catching the bag. "Do you mind if I go first?"

"Go ahead, but leave me the materia- I'll fix us something for dinner but I need to unshrink the food," he said, already pulling out a few more bags.

Aeris took off her bangle after restoring her bag to its proper size, handing the entire thing to Zack before disappearing into the bathroom. "I'll try not to take too long," she promised, closing and locking the door behind her.

Zack nodded absently, his hands going through the motions while his mind was somewhere else entirely. Although they were not only off the streets, but also potentially hidden away from all ShinRa personnel for the duration of the voyage, he couldn't help but wonder if he'd made a terrible mistake.

 **. . .**

 **To Be Continued**

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	12. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Zack was woken up the next morning by a jaunty tune being broadcast over a PA system across the entire harbor. He groaned loudly and buried his head under the blanket, trying to go back to sleep. The lively music proved to be too much to ignore, making Zack toss and turn on the bed as sleep continued to elude him. Growling a few unintelligible words, he grabbed his pillow and smashed it down over his ears to muffle the horrible racket. Mere cotton and batting were no match for enhanced SOLDIER hearing however and Zack finally gave it up as a lost cause, throwing the blanket aside and rolling out of bed. He landed on his feet, glaring blearily around at the drab gray walls of their room.

Aeris was sitting on the lower bunk, already dressed and her bed made. She couldn't help but giggle as she took in his appearance: his sleep-rumpled clothes, his hair sticking up in the oddest places and his dour expression as he glowered at the world in general. She smiled brightly as he turned his surly gaze on her. "Good morning," she offered cheerfully.

Zack muttered something back, scrubbing his face with both hands. "What is that _awful_ noise?" he asked, his voice slightly muffled by his hands.

"That's the welcome parade for the new president," Aeris explained. "Remember? One of the crew came down and told us we'd depart after the parade, as soon as Rufus was on board."

Zack did vaguely recall something to that effect happening early that morning, although the details had been lost on him. Once he had classified the seaman as a 'non-threat,' his mind had seemed to go back to sleep, not bothering to wait for his body to follow it back to bed. He shook his head, raising his arms in a full body stretch. "So, this means we'll be heading out soon, yeah?" he asked, receiving a nod in return. "Man, the new prez sure likes to get up early. What time did they start?"

Aeris giggled again. "Around ten, I think," she answered, smiling sweetly.

Zack did a double take. "Say _what?!_ " he demanded, shocked. "What time is it now?"

"Almost 11:30. You must have been tired."

Zack just shook his head, still surprised. It seemed the last few nights of sleeping on the ground with one eye open had caught up to him. He shook the thoughts off as the music stopped playing. "Finally," he breathed, grabbing his bag from the floor and heading for the bathroom. If the parade was over, they'd be casting off soon.

The trip was more uneventful than Zack had dared to hope for, one sailor dropping by their room shortly after the boat left the harbor to check their tickets before leaving them alone altogether. They spent the day lounging about, moving Cloud to the bed for a change of scenery and generally used the time to relax. The second day passed much the same as the first and as afternoon faded to evening the ex-SOLDIER was starting to believe they might actually reach port the following morning without any mishaps.

"...ast...iro...ing..."

Zack's head shot up at the faint but painfully familiar voice, his wide eyes meeting Aeris across the map they had been looking at on her bed. The next second he was on his feet and climbing onto the top bunk. "Cloud?" he asked, anxiously leaning over the blonde to see his face. "Are you back with us Spiky?"

Half-closed glowing blue eyes continued staring unseeingly at the ceiling, giving no indication of whether he was aware of Zack's presence or not. His pale lips were barely moving, vaguely forming words as he tried to speak. "...mus...ind...teri..." he mumbled, his vocal cords only sounding out bits and pieces of the words. "...ome...nn...ste...oth..."

"That's it, Spiky," Zack said encouragingly, gripping his shoulder. "Keep trying. I know it's hard, but you can do it. Just focus on one thing at a time. It'll all come back to you."

Aeris stood by the bed, holding her clasped hands near her mouth as she watched Zack trying to coax Cloud back to the land of the living. The blonde seemed oblivious to everything around him, continuing to utter nonsense syllables with each measured breath. It was a bit disconcerting when Aeris noticed he didn't stop trying to speak when he was breathing in, seemingly not realizing or comprehending that he couldn't talk while inhaling. She was about to point this out to Zack when an alarm sounded over the PA.

"Emergency alert! Reports of a stowaway found! Those not on detail, search the ship. Report when found! I repeat, stowaway sighted on board! Those not on detail, search the ship. Report when found!"

Zack's head shot up, wide eyes meeting Aeris'. He slid off the bed while she rushed to the door, locking it to buy them some time to hide the blonde.

Zack swore softly as he searched around the bags that had accumulated on the floor, cursing his lack of foresight. He hadn't even thought about buying a ticket for Cloud. "Where's the materia?" he asked urgently.

"By the basket," Aeris answered, pointing.

Spotting the bangle, Zack slipped it on his own wrist and cast the spell to shrink the blonde while hurriedly emptying his bag of clothing into the dresser drawers. "Okay, Spike, listen up," he said, carefully picking up Cloud and laying him down at the back of the bottom drawer. The blonde's lips were still moving, although his voice was now too quiet to be audible to anyone without enhanced hearing. "I kind of forgot to buy you a ticket, so you're gonna have to hide in here for a bit. I know, I know, you can yell at me later, alright? Just bear with it for now," he said, gently laying a folded shirt over him and tidying the rest of the clothes to look like they hadn't simply been dumped in.

Once everything was arranged satisfactorily- or at least as neatly as Zack could manage, he gently pushed the drawer shut, trying not to jostle Cloud too much. He took another minute or two to arrange the clothing in the other drawers, pulling out some of Aeris' clothes from her bag to make it more authentic. Realizing it would be a bit odd to have only some of the clothes folded and put away, he quickly shrunk the remaining bags and shoved them back in the basket.

Aeris waited until he was done, unlocking the door as they both moved back to the bed and resumed their spots on either side of the map spread out on the blanket. Although they were striving for normalcy, neither one could pretend to focus on planning out their trip after reaching Costa Del Sol. Their eyes were drawn to the doorway as a pair of booted feet was heard running down the hall toward their room. It was only after the crewman passed them by that Aeris released the breath she'd been holding and Zack tried to loosen the tight muscles across his shoulders. Two more sets of footsteps entered the corridor at a hurried clip, making Zack and Aeris both tense until they too continued on down the hall without stopping. Zack rubbed his neck, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly. It was promising to be a very long night.

 **"I should go check it out."**

Zack shook his head, dismissing the ridiculous thought. It had only been a few minutes since the announcement and the adrenaline was already making him antsy. His fight or flight instincts were kicking into overdrive every time he heard a member of the crew heading down the surprisingly busy hallway outside their room. It was a waiting game, one he knew they could win if they just stayed put and acted natural when their room was checked. He just wished they'd hurry up and get it over with already.

"I don't think they were talking about Cloud," Aeris stated after half an hour of waiting. "Do you think we should go see what's going on?"

"No." Zack's answer was immediate and definitive. "There's still a lot of activity out there and we'd only draw attention to ourselves- attention we really don't need with the Turks on board. We stay here."

 **"What if the stowaway is something the Turks can't handle? That man did say the president's murderer might be in town..."**

Zack scowled at the traitorous thought. Someone skilled enough to sneak past- or put down -all the security in ShinRa tower, murder the president and get back out again, was not someone to be taken lightly. That being said, Zack couldn't afford to draw any attention to himself, not when he had Aeris and Cloud to look after. He'd just have to stick to the sidelines and hope they didn't get caught in the crossfire.

Aeris was silent for a moment. "But, what if they need help?" she asked, unknowingly mirroring his own thoughts. "I mean, if they found them, don't you think they'd have announced an 'all clear' or something by now? What if whoever, or whatever it is, is too much for them to handle?"

Zack may not have been that good at outright lying, but he was fairly skilled in deflection. "Come on, these are men of the sea! Don't take them so lightly," he said, flashing her a reassuring grin. "Besides, they have a bunch of ShinRa troopers and the Turks to back them up if need be. Don't forget that Rufus himself is on board, after all!"

"I guess you're right," Aeris said slowly. She didn't sound convinced of it herself, but she was willing to trust his judgment.

Fifteen minutes later, the ex-SOLDIER wasn't so sure staying out of it had been a good idea as another alarm sounded over the PA system.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking," a male voice announced over the intercom. "Due to a malfunction in the engine room, the hull has been compromised. While we are assessing the extent of the damage, all passengers are encouraged to don their lifejackets and proceed in a calm and orderly fashion to the lifeboats..."

Aeris bit her lip, meeting Zack's eyes. "What are we gonna do?" she asked, her soft voice almost drowned out by the instructions and assurances coming over the PA.

Zack was wondering the same thing himself. Seventy-five percent of the people on the ship were with ShinRa. While most of the troopers wouldn't recognize them on sight, the Turks not on duty would be spread amongst the boats to ensure at least some of Rufus' security detail survived, no matter what happened. Considering hours on end stuck with forty to sixty people in a boat just waiting for rescue, there was no way they wouldn't be recognized by someone. On the other hand, without the lifeboats, their options were severely limited.

"First things first- pack everything up," Zack said, handing the bangle back to Aeris as he moved to the dresser and started pulling out clothes. She found the bags they came from, stuffing them inside and shrinking everything down to travel size while Zack moved Cloud back to his bed in the basket. It didn't take them more than a couple minutes before everything was ready to go.

"Now what?" Aeris asked. "Are we going to try to disguise ourselves and sneak onto the lifeboats?"

"If we had the stuff to do that, I'd seriously consider it," Zack replied, moving over and listening at the door. It sounded like everyone in the area had already evacuated. "Our plan is a little more difficult."

A few minutes later, Zack cautiously stepped up on deck, basket in hand. When no one was looking, he darted behind a couple of crates, steadily making his way to the back of the ship. He found a shadowed corner at the stern, straining his eyes as he searched for anyone nearby. The area was deserted, all crewmembers occupied with evacuating passengers closer the bow.

"Are you sure this will work?" Aeris asked, her faint voice floating up from the closed basket.

"Reasonably," he whispered back.

"That's not very comforting!"

Zack grinned in the darkness, focusing his wing. He managed to form it on the first try, noting it was getting easier bring it out. Taking one last look around, he ran to the rail, clearing it and unfurling his wing to catch the air. He flew relatively close to the waves initially, focusing on getting out of range of the lights on the ship before anyone saw him. Once he was far enough away he stopped, considering the best way to get around the liner unseen. With lifeboats being deployed on both sides, and everyone's attention focused on the ocean below, his best bet would be flying directly above them, relying on his height and the dark sky to hide him from view. Several powerful strokes of his wing propelled him high in the air, gaining the altitude needed to fly over the ship unseen. His dark clothes and black wing were virtually invisible against the starlit sky as he passed the liner and continued on toward Costa Del Sol.

It didn't take long for Zack to realize flying over the ocean was quite different from flying over land, especially at night. For one thing, there were no landmarks to guide him or to help him judge how fast he was moving- nothing but endless waves for as far as he could see, even with his impressive eyesight. If not for the wind chilling his skin as it blew right through his clothes, he'd almost think he wasn't making any headway at all.

The lack of landmarks posed a potential problem: the sun was down and he had no idea how to navigate by the stars. This, of course, didn't occur to him until he had left the ocean liner far behind and was trying to correct his course after a rather strong gust of wind got him turned around. He hovered in place as he dug out his compass, being sure to keep a tight grip on it. If he dropped it out here, he'd be lost for sure.

He knew Costa Del Sol was roughly east of Junon, so it was a pretty safe bet to head in that direction. He held the compass near is face, squinting as he tried to make out the directions on its face by the light of the stars. Giving it up as a lost cause, he activated one of the materia in the bracer instead, using the glow to illuminate the compass. Correcting his heading, he carefully replaced the compass in his pocket and continued onward, losing elevation when he realized the wind that high up wasn't doing much more than knocking him off course.

Zack's next problem cropped up a few hours into his flight. He wasn't sure how long he'd been flying exactly, but he needed a break. Unfortunately, there weren't any helpful islands or even floating debris anywhere in sight. He fished a potion out of his pocket, downing the liquid in one shot as he considered the problem. He had no idea how fast he was flying in relation to the liner's speed, but as they weren't supposed to reach Costa Del Sol until nine tomorrow morning, he assumed he still had many more hours of flight ahead of him. He could use the potions he had scattered throughout his pockets like replacement energy drinks for a while, the temporary boost allowing him to fly longer without needing to rest. However, he'd likely run out long before he reached land and even if he did manage to make it to a beach, he'd be all but useless afterward. Like continually drinking caffeine to stay awake for hours on end, once he finally crashed he'd sleep like the dead.

He ran through the long list of all their equipment in his mind, trying to think if there was anything buoyant enough for him to float on for a little while. The Mini spell was incredibly useful in that it allowed them to take everything but the kitchen sink with them. Unfortunately, he could think of nothing in their inventory that could support his weight in the water. It was a pity he hadn't thought to pack a row boat.

He pulled out his compass to check his course again, angling a bit more toward his right as the glowing materia fading in his bracer caught his eye. He chuckled, realizing he didn't need to find something to land on. He could make his own boat wherever he wanted.

Zack didn't have the materia he needed equipped but he was sure he had it somewhere on his person. It took several minutes of routing around in various pockets before he found what he needed. He grinned as he finally pulled out a Blizzara, gripping it a little too tightly between his thumb and forefinger as the wind picked up. Zack's eyes widened as the smooth orb popped out of his fingers and plummeted toward the ocean below. Without a thought he dove after it, managing to catch the materia before it had fallen more than ten feet.

"Zack?" Aeris' shaky voice called from the basket. "What happened? Are you alright?"

Zack flinched guiltily, having momentarily forgotten about the basket hanging on his arm. His sudden dive had probably knocked Aeris and Cloud all over the place. "Yeah, sorry- I'm fine, everything's fine. I kind of, um... Well, it was my fault. Are you guys alright in there?" he asked.

"Yeah, we're fine," Aeris said after a moment. "A few bumps and bruises are all." She hesitated before continuing. "Are you sure you're alright? You didn't fall asleep, did you?"

Zack let out a slightly breathless laugh. "No, nothing like that," he assured her. "I'm fine. I, uh, accidentally dropped something and kind of dove after it without thinking."

Aeris was silent for a long moment.

"It was totally my fault and I'm _really_ sorry," Zack apologized again. "You can go back to sleep- I promise I _won't_ do it again."

Aeris muttered something to herself, the words too quiet for Zack to understand. "Just be careful," she said at last, still sounding a touch irritated although it was overlaid by resignation.

"I will," Zack promised earnestly. When no reply was forthcoming from the basket he turned his attention back to the materia, carefully switching one on his bracer with the Blizzara in his hand. Flying closer to the waves, he activated the materia and directed the magic to the water below. A chunk of ice obediently formed in the sea, both too small to keep him above the waves and far too round despite the rough surface for him to stand on.

Several minutes and many failed attempts later, Zack managed to create a more or less flat platform to land on, stacking several spells of roughly the same shape on top of each other to support his weight. He landed lightly on the ice despite his fatigue, the saltwater squishing between his toes a constant reminder to not simply drop all his weight on it at once. He couldn't help the relieved sigh that escaped him when his makeshift raft settled a little deeper in the water but did not go under.

It felt good to be off his...wing? Zack shook his head, not quite sure how the common saying would translate for his current situation. However, he felt the sentiment was still the same. Sitting down, he leaned back on his hands and stared up at the countless stars covering the sky, far more than could be seen from any city in the world. He peered into the basket, wanting to share this with Aeris but she had already fallen back asleep.

Smiling, he closed the lid and continued staring at the sky for several more minutes. The moon wasn't up yet- or maybe wouldn't be up tonight, he had no idea what phase it was in -but it was still a breathtaking sight. When he started to shiver from the cold, his rear numb and pants wet from the melting ice, he figured he'd rested long enough. Setting his course by the compass, he leapt off his slowly shrinking raft and continued on flying through the night.

 **. . .**

The sun had been up for an hour or two by the time Zack finally reached land. He flew a little ways inland, touching down on a rise where the beach turned to plains. He dropped to his knees, gently setting the basket to the side before falling forward and hugging the earth. "Oh, solid ground, how I have missed you!" he moaned, rubbing his cheek against the grass.

Aeris popped her head out, eagerly climbing out of the basket once she realized they had reached land. A quick spell restored her to her proper size and she twirled around, enjoying having the space to move around freely again. She turned to Zack, her question dying on her lips at the odd sight he made with his arms outstretched, seeming as though he was trying to become one with the earth. "Shall I leave you two alone?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

Zack chuckled, his voice slightly muffled by the grass. "Maybe just for a few more minutes..."

Aeris shook her head, smiling. "I never knew you and the ground were so close," she commented lightly.

"Oh yeah, we go way back!" Zack said, folding his wing so he could roll onto his back and grinned up at her. "We got _really_ well acquainted back when I first started training in hand-to-hand with Angeal," he quipped.

She laughed, offering him her hand. "Well, if you're done making up..."

"Yeah, I'm done," Zack said, taking her hand and letting her pull him to his feet. "It's just nice to be sitting on something that's _not_ frozen for a change, you know? Between the ice and the cold wind seeming to freeze my pants as much as dry them, my butt's been numb for _hours_ ," he complained, rubbing the affected area gingerly.

Aeris winced sympathetically. "So, where are we?" she asked, looking around. "I don't see any cities nearby..."

"Yeah, I think I got way off course a time or three during the night," Zack said, rubbing the back of his head. "Who knew learning to navigate by the stars was such an important skill to have?"

"Do you know where we are?"

Zack shrugged. "I got a pretty good look at the lay of the land before I touched down, so I think I can probably find it on the map," he said, searching through his pockets until he found it.

Aeris helped him spread it on the ground, holding the corners while he studied it. "Okay, here's Junon," he said, pointing to the city. "And here's Costa Del Sol." He moved his finger over the route their boat had taken between the two. "Oh, well that explains it. We probably got off somewhere around here and I was thinking Costa Del Sol was east of Junon, not _northeast_ , so I've been heading the wrong way. The wind was blowing south- at least, every time I re-checked my direction against the compass, I was usually heading southeast. Right now we're on a long peninsula- I saw the northern tip when I was still in the air -so that would probably put us right around in here." Zack circled an area on the map with his finger.

"That's quite a long ways from Costa Del Sol," Aeris commented, looking at the map.

"Yeah." Zack rubbed a tired hand over his face. "But, on the bright side, we've easily shaved several days off our trip by no longer having to rent chocobo to travel through the mountains to reach Coral."

"Coral is...here, right?" Aeris asked, pointing to a town located in the middle of the desert. "That's almost due east of us."

Zack nodded. "I was planning to re-supply there, but now..." He moved his finger from the peninsula in an imaginary line to Cosmo Canyon. "A direct line would have us skirting the edge of the desert, but not actually entering it."

"I don't know, Zack," Aeris said hesitantly. "That's a long way to go without resupplying. Are you sure we'll have enough to make it all the way to Cosmo Canyon?"

Zack chuckled. "Trust me, I packed for the worst-case scenario. We could probably make it to Wutai and back if we needed to," he stated. "Stopping by Coral would have been more for the chocobo, anyway. We could've packed the greens no problem, but there's no way we could have carried that much water with us."

"Okay," Aeris said, nodding. "Straight to Cosmo Canyon then." She released the edges as Zack folded the map up and replaced it in his pocket.

Zack's eyes fell on the basket, remembering Cloud's attempts at talking on the ship. "How's Cloud?" he asked, his voice subdued. "Did he say anything? Besides mumbling incoherently, I mean."

Aeris shook her head. "He had already stopped talking by the time I got in the basket," she answered quietly.

Zack nodded somberly, not really having expected anything else. After all, if Cloud had managed to snap out of it, he would have climbed out of the basket with Aeris. He briefly wondered if putting him back in the basket- basically shutting him away from all outside stimuli, anything that he could focus on -had made him regress. He sighed heavily, stretching his wing out as he fell backward into the grass once more and stared up at the blue sky. Given the situation, he didn't see how he could have done anything else. He just had to believe that if Cloud had managed to do that once, he could do it again.

Zack yawned, covering his mouth with one hand before letting his arm flop bonelessly back down beside him. Being up all the previous day and flying all night was catching up with him. Aeris drew his attention as she rummaged through the basket, pulling out cooking utensils and one of the bags of provisions as she started on breakfast. He knew he should get up and help, but instead felt himself relaxing as he listened to her, letting his eyes slide closed. The sun was warm on his skin and his wing, the black feathers greedily soaking up the heat. He let out a deep slow breath, silently promising he'd only rest for a little bit as he slowly drifted off to sleep.

 **. . .**

 **To Be Continued**

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	13. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Zack awoke slowly, the gentle rocking of the boat tempting him to roll over and go back to sleep. He laid there for a few minutes, contentedly drifting back and forth between dreams and wakefulness until the boat came to an abrupt stop. The incongruity of the situation pulled him to full consciousness and he opened his eyes, blinking up at the...bamboo ceiling?

He was jolted out of his thoughts as the entire boat shuddered, almost like it had run aground. He sat up quickly, taking stock of his surroundings. It was dark, but enough light was filtering in from...somewhere that he could see fraying ropes sticking out of the walls all over the place. He was lying on two folded blankets, a small pillow previously cushioning his head on the makeshift bed while numerous others were strewn about the floor. To his right was another bed, taller than his with thick padding on all sides...and a familiar blonde staring at nothing lying within.

Zack rested his forehead in one hand, closing his eyes. He was in the basket. What in the world was he doing in the basket? He thought back over the previous day, the events filtering back to him. He remembered the stowaway alarm, the call to abandon ship, flying all night long, reaching land in the morning and then...nothing. Aeris must have shrunk him and put him in the basket after he'd fallen asleep. Clearly, he must have been more tired than he thought to sleep through that.

The only reason Aeris would have moved him to the basket would be to keep traveling while he got some much-needed rest. Zack rose to his feet uneasily. The monsters out here were stronger than those found in the slums and he didn't like the idea of Aeris facing them alone. She'd obviously set the basket down, which meant she was either taking a break or...

Almost on cue, he heard a loud hissing as he lifted the lid on the basket, peering around. Aeris was standing with her back to him, facing off against what appeared to be a cross between a snake and a dragon. It was probably taller than she was although it was hard to tell with its thin and sinuous pale purple body continually undulating in the air. Long skinny legs tipped in sharp claws hung from its slightly thicker torso and large spiky wings, dark red in color, sprouted from its shoulders. An elongated serpentine neck curved up from its body, beady red eyes peering out over a long and narrow pointed beak.

It hissed again, flapping its wings as it curled through the air and swiped at Aeris with its feet. She threw herself to the side, the talons catching her arm as it passed by. Biting back on a cry of pain, she focused instead on the materia in her bangle. Green light shone from the orb, the familiar spell shrinking the reptile to about an eighth of its original size. Seeing the flower girl was now far too large to even consider challenging, the monster hissed once more before beating a hasty retreat.

Aeris watched it go, making sure it wasn't going to come back before lowering her staff. She glanced down at her arm, wincing at the long but shallow slice. Her bangle glowed again, a soft green light settling over the wound and knitting the flesh back together. She closed her eyes against a sudden dizzy spell, waiting a few seconds for it to pass before examining her arm. Satisfied with the healing, she turned around to retrieve the basket only to almost run into a pixie-sized Zack Fair hovering about eye-height. His arms were folded tightly across his chest and, judging by the expression on his face, he was Not Happy.

"Good morning, Zack" Aeris greeted pleasantly.

"I very much doubt that," Zack stated, glancing pointedly at the sun. If he had to hazard a guess, he'd say it was closer to one or two in the afternoon.

Aeris followed his gaze. "You may be right," she allowed, smiling. "After all, I've lived under the plate all my life. Being able to see the sun as it crosses the sky is still a pretty new experience for me."

"What's really odd though," Zack continued, trying to keep his tone level, "is that I don't recall being next to the _desert_ when I fell asleep."

"I should hope not," Aeris agreed. "I've been walking for _hours_."

Zack could almost feel a vein bulging in his forehead. "What were you thinking?!" he demanded, all pretense of his cool exterior disappearing. "Wandering around out here by yourself? Do you have any idea how dangerous that was?!"

Aeris shrugged, stepping around him and picking up the basket. "I was thinking that I was tired of just sitting back while you did everything," she replied coolly, continuing on along the outskirts of the desert.

Zack took a deep breath, counting to ten. Granted, he hadn't intended to spend nearly so much of the trip flying- if any at all -and he imagined it had to be pretty boring stuck in the basket all day. He shot through the air, circling around in front of her. She didn't stop, forcing him to fly backward to stay ahead of her. It was a surprisingly difficult thing to do, but he managed it. "Look, I get that you're tired of riding in the basket all day and I'm sorry it's had to be this way," he apologized. "But, that's no excuse to go recklessly tearing off across the countryside without having any idea of what types of monsters are in the area! You could have gotten badly hurt or, even worse, _killed_."

"And how's that worse than what you do?" Aeris countered. "A few months ago you didn't have a wing and now you're flying across the _ocean_. You asked me to trust you, Zack. I would think the least you could do is extend me the same courtesy."

"It's not about trust," Zack said, gesturing with his arms as he was want to do when agitated. Aeris gave him a _look_ and he sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Look, I've had years of training in different styles of combat, I have mako enhancements that increase my speed and strength a hundred fold- I could even open my own materia shop with just what I have in my pockets!"

"That may be," Aeris agreed, an underlying edge in her voice, "but I came along to help you in whatever way I can- not to be just another piece of baggage for you to lug around."

Zack looked stunned. He actually forgot to flap for a second or two, falling a few feet before catching himself. His wing was starting to ache from forcing it to fly in an unnatural direction, so he flew over and landed on her shoulder instead. "Aeris, I have _never_ thought of you as baggage," he told her, his voice serious. "I know this trip hasn't exactly gone how we planned, but..."

She started to shake her head but stopped, noticing Zack was holding onto her hair to steady himself. "It's not just that, Zack," she said, carefully turning her head slightly to look at him out of the corner of her eye. "Every time something goes wrong, you push yourself to make sure everyone gets out alright. First from Midgar, then from Kalm and now the ship." She sighed, turning her attention back to where she was walking as she stumbled slightly over the uneven ground. "I just wanted to be the one who's there for you, to carry you when you needed help."

Zack plopped down on her shoulder as he considered her words, one hand clinging to the collar of her jacket. He drew up one knee, resting his free arm on it. "I appreciate what you're trying to do," he said after a moment. "I do. I just...it's dangerous to go off by yourself like that. Promise me you won't do it again. Please."

"I know you just want to protect me, Zack," she said, "but I grew up in the slums. It's a dangerous world, and you haven't always been there- won't always be there -to protect me. I can handle myself."

Zack bit his tongue, not saying that the Turks likely took care of a fair few of any problems she might have encountered in the slums. Then he reminded himself that there must have been a reason she'd taken to carrying around a staff.

"Besides," she continued, "why'd you insist on giving me materia if you didn't expect me to use it?"

"I thought it would be good to have as a last resort, when you get in over your head." Probably like all day, he added silently. He paused, realizing she _had_ been using the spells all day. They weren't the highest level he had- not even close -but they weren't base level, either. Aeris had never done any serious training, so she didn't have the stamina to cast spells like those all day. "Did you use any of the offensive materia I gave you?" he asked, abruptly changing the subject. Of all the materia he'd given her, those two would be the most draining. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine. Why?" she asked, brow furrowed in confusion as she glanced at him out of the corner of her eye.

"Any fatigue, unexplained lethargy?" he pressed.

She shrugged, biting her lip when he gave a startled yelp as she almost unseated him. She gave him an apologetic grin. "I only used them once or twice- they really take a lot of you. I mostly stuck with Mini or Stop after that," she answered. "And I wouldn't call it 'unexplained' anything. I've been walking all day- I think I've got an excuse to be tired."

Zack shook his head. "I'm not talking about physically, but it can be hard to differentiate between the two if you're not used to it," he idly explained, rummaging through his pockets. Finding what he wanted, he leapt off her shoulder and glided down to her hand, pulling on her fingers. She stopped walking, obediently raising her hand for him. He carefully placed a tiny vial in her palm before flying back up and reclaiming his spot. "Drink that," he instructed. "Just make sure you unshrink it first- you _really_ don't want something that's been shrunk inside you if we have to shrink _you_ again."

Aeris did as he instructed, unshrinking and drinking the liquid. She closed her eyes as it took effect, shivering slightly as something like a cool breeze brushed across her mind. It washed away a weariness she hadn't even realized was there, leaving her mind clear and focused. "What is this?" she asked, looking at the empty bottle.

"Ether," Zack said. "ShinRa developed them to help with the mental strain of casting too much magic in too short a time- or too high a level spell for those not used to it. Figured you could use one if you've been using the materia I gave you all day."

"Thanks."

"No problem."

They walked in silence for a few moments.

"So," Aeris began hesitantly, "do you want me to un-shrink you?"

Zack shrugged. "You're the one that wanted to carry me," he pointed out, leaning back against her neck and stretching his legs out to her shoulder. "Who am I to refuse a free ride?"

Aeris laughed, sorely tempted to drop her shoulder just to see if he'd fall off. "What happened to 'recklessly charging across the countryside with no idea of what I'm getting myself into'?" she asked.

"This is different- now you have me," Zack stated, matter-of-fact. "Just un-shrink me when we come across any monsters and we'll call it even."

Aeris wasn't sure what needed to be evened up between them, but nodded anyway. If he wanted to fight all the monsters they ran across, who was she to deny him?

 **. . .**

They reached the river that evening and decided to set up camp on the opposite bank. They had missed the ferry crossing by several miles, so Zack simply flew Aeris across instead. After dinner, Aeris was looking over the map while Zack finished helping Cloud with his evening walk. Once the blond was settled into his bedroll for the night, Zack moved over to Aeris, taking a seat on the ground next to her. "Have you figured out where we are yet?" he asked.

"As far as I can tell, we should be somewhere around here," she said, pointing at the map. "We're still planning on hiking over the mountains, right?" she asked

Zack nodded. "It'll cut our travel time in half easily. Look, if we kept to the roads, we'd have to travel down here past..." He hesitated slightly as he drew his finger past Gongaga. He dearly wanted to stop in and check on his parents, but had decided it was too risky. He'd just have to trust Cissnei's word that they were doing well.

"This town, whatever it is- the font is too small to read in this light," he lied, covering up his hesitation. "Anyway, keep going almost all the way to the coast before heading west to cross another river and swing around down here to actually enter the canyon itself. From there we'd have to come all the way back up here, then circle around and down again before finally reaching Cosmo Canyon."

"That is a pretty winding path," Aeris stated.

Zack nodded. "On the other hand, if we keep following the river until it turns north, then head southwest across this mountain, the canyon is on the other side and it's a straight shot to the town," he said, following their course with his finger on the map.

"It does look like a much shorter trip," Aeris agreed. "But are you sure we can cross the mountains on foot? I know you were trying to get to Junon quickly but from what I saw of those mountains, it didn't look like we could have hiked over them even if we wanted to."

Zack chuckled. "Yeah, those mountains were pretty inhospitable," he agreed amiably. "These are different though. It's been a while, but from what I remember of the area, the mountains here are more like raised plains, I guess. It isn't even a canyon really- some geological something caused a lot of plateaus all over this area and the 'canyon' is what's left of the lower ground that runs between them."

"Some geological something?" Aeris repeated, her lips turning up in a teasing grin. "Is that a technical term?"

Zack rubbed the back of his head a bit self-consciously. "It was explained to me once on one of my missions near here, but I wasn't really paying attention," he admitted. "Something about volcanoes, I think."

"Are there active volcanoes in the area?" Aeris asked, looking like she wasn't sure if she should be concerned or not.

"No," Zack was quick to reassure her. "There haven't been any for a long time."

Aeris nodded. "Alright, we'll set out for the mountains in the morning," she said as she folded up the map. "And, if you're wrong, you can simply fly us to the other side."

"That's right!" Zack proclaimed, standing and striking a pose. "When Zack is here, there's nothing to fear!"

Aeris giggled, letting him pull her to her feet as well. "The dashing Zack Fair to the rescue," she agreed.

"Yes, I am quite dashing, aren't I?" he asked, stroking his jaw.

Aeris put one finger on her chin in thought. "Well...mostly."

"Mostly?" Zack looked shocked, though the grin tugging at his mouth ruined the expression. "And what fault, exactly, do you find with my appearance?"

"Your hair. I liked better when it was shorter, like it was when we first met."

Zack blinked. "You mean when my bangs were all hanging in my face and it stuck up everywhere else?" he asked.

"Mm-hm," Aeris agreed. "I liked it like that."

Zack laughed, shaking his head as she walked over to her bed roll. So, she liked his hair shorter, did she? He ran a hand through his hair, idly untangling the knots. Perhaps he'd look into getting a haircut once they reached Cosmo Canyon.

 **. . .**

Zack's memories proved to be correct, the steep sides of the plateau providing a rather strenuous workout but far from the sheer walls and towering peaks that littered the mountains between Midgar and Junon. It took them just under a day and a half to cross over into the canyon, the dusty red ground and sparse vegetation a stark contrast to the lush forest covering the top of the plateau. They took a break when they reached the canyon floor, eating an early lunch while Zack figured out roughly where they were on the map and which way they needed to go from there.

Though monsters were surprisingly scarce the entire trip across the mountain, Zack soon discovered they were somewhat plentiful in the canyon itself. Around an hour of walking had already pitted him against two griffons and an entire tribe's worth of desert sahagin. While the sahagin looked like deformed turtles- their long limbs allowing them to walk upright as well as wield tridents -their appearance was a bit misleading. They were surprisingly quick on their clawed feet and the thick carapace encasing their entire torso, as well as the tough leathery skin dotted with scales covering their limbs, was difficult to cut through. Zack was forced to rely on his materia to see him through.

It wouldn't have been so bad if the griffins in the area didn't have an ability that drained mental stamina, making it more difficult and sometimes even impossible for Zack to cast spells. Fortunately the bird/lion hybrids were susceptible to his blade and he'd yet to meet the two monsters in battle together. However, he had given Aeris several ethers in case things got a bit too hairy. Although he wouldn't pit her physical strength against theirs, she was surprisingly good with materia.

Zack groaned as he heard a high-pitched screech followed by a hollow _thump_ up ahead of him, although the creature was hidden from view due to a couple of large boulders that seemed to have been displaced in a recent landslide. Aeris giggled at his irritation as two more challenges were heard and Zack sighed resignedly, raising one hand to the hilt of his sword. The sound of shattering glass made his brows furrow in confusion, but the terrified human screams that followed it had him running forward without conscious thought to do so.

An old beat up car was sitting near the canyon wall, dents in the doors, roof and hood as well spider web cracks in all the windows. The windshield was shattered, half of it still holding together while the driver's side was completely caved in. Three skeeskee were around the car, screeching their anger as they rammed into it. The skeeskee looked a bit like a penguin with a black head and wings, slightly webbed feet and a white belly. Its wings, though still roughly the same shape as a flipper, were covered in sleek black feathers and had a retractable claw about every two inches along the top ridge. Brilliant red and green feathers sprouted from above its eyes and swept back over its head, looking as though the monster was wearing a headdress.

Two skeeskee jumped into the air, hovering around six feet off the ground for a few second before dive-bombing the car again. The third was wriggling through the windshield, trying to pull itself through the hole it had made. Without a second thought Zack launched himself into the thick of it, boots landing heavily on the hood as he brought his sword down on the monster closest to entering the car. It shrieked loudly in pain, writhing briefly before lying still in death. Its cry drew the attention of the other two who focused their anger on a new target: Zack.

The ex-SOLDIER jumped back as they both rushed him, drawing the fight away from the car and its passengers. They followed him, one running forward and slashing at him with the claws on its wings as the other jumped up and hovered in the air. Zack parried the claws with his blade and countered with a diagonal slash, slicing the monster open from hip to shoulder when it couldn't get back fast enough. Zack immediately dove to the side, foregoing the killing stroke in favor of dodging the second one diving at him.

The sound of something heavy smashing into the ground behind him indicated he'd made the right decision as he regained his feet and turned around. His eyes widened slightly at the indent in the ground, the rocks actually _cracked_ in several places, and the uninjured skeeskee gearing up for another attack. Zack himself had left much larger holes in the ground when he was too enthusiastic and forgot his own strength, but the fact that an unenhanced monster could do so was impressive.

Zack sprinted forward as the skeeskee rushed him, using his SOLDIER speed to remove its head as he passed. With that one down, he turned his attention back to its fatally wounded companion, still hissing at him even as its blood poured out in an ever-widening circle around it. Not wanting to leave the creature to suffer, he killed it in one sure stroke.

Another shrill screech made Zack's eyes widen and the sound of breaking glass sent him running back to the car. A fourth skeeskee had broken one of the back windows and was quickly squirming its way inside. Aeris- who had hung back when Zack engaged the monsters initially -already had her arm up, the green materia glowing brightly as she cast Stop. The skeeskee stopped moving, its body halfway through the window when the magic froze it in place. Noting the teenage girl cowering on the floorboards, Zack quickly pulled it out and dispatched it before carefully checking around the car for any others he may have missed.

Once Zack was sure the area was clear, he and Aeris helped the teenagers- a girl and boy -out of the car. The boy was wearing a pair of loose fitting blue jeans, the denim faded with a few small holes worn in the material. His shirt was a gray button up one that he left hanging open with a white tank top underneath, although a shallow gash on his stomach had turned it red. Dark brown hair was cut short, accentuating his green eyes, and a small fang dangled from one ear.

The girl's bangs almost covered her dark eyes while the rest of her hair was pulled back into a braid, the tip just long enough to brush a long slice across her back beneath her shoulder blades. She was wearing dark blue jeans with heeled boots and a pink shirt with a picture of a moogle snuggling a heart. They obviously hadn't fared well against the monsters, but Aeris healing materia took care of that in short order. She also lent the girl one of her shirts as a cut across the collar had left it a bit too revealing to be worn in public.

It took several minutes for the terror and adrenaline to wear off and a few more to get the newly introduced Keisha and Devlet to calm down. Once they had, Zack decided it was time for some answers. "So, I know skeeskee are incredibly territorial and are a lot like badgers if you get on their bad side, but I've never heard of them attacking a car before," he said, leaving it open for them to fill in the blanks.

Keisha gave Devlet a pointed look, as if to say this-is-all-your-fault-so-you-get-to-tell-them. He bit his lip nervously, dropping his eyes to the ground. "I think...we may have disturbed their nests," he admitted hesitantly.

Zack folded his arms, trying to remember what he had learned about skeeskee back when he was running missions in areas where they lived. "They...nest up in high places, right?" he asked.

Devlet nodded. "Usually on outcroppings in the canyon walls," he said.

Zack craned his head up to look at the wall, not seeing any obvious nests but realizing exactly how close they were to the landslide. He raised an eyebrow consideringly, wondering if that had anything to do with it. "How did you manage to do that? Shoot them with a slingshot or something?"

"Not quite..." Devlet hedged, staring fixedly at the ground.

"His uncle is an archaeologist who used to work in Bone Village," Keisha spoke up. "He's been talking to the elders about excavating some sites around here using charges to find stuff in the ground or something like that," she explained.

Zack's jaw dropped in surprise. "Dude, your uncle lets you play with _bombs?!_ " he asked, his expression a mixture of awe and envy. "My mom wouldn't even let me use the machete to hack through the jungle around our town! Which is actually kind of ironic, now that I think about it..." he mused, glancing at the large sword strapped to his back.

"He didn't know I took them," Devlet muttered to the ground.

Zack winced. "Oh. Well, I know it's not what you want to hear, but the sooner you tell him what happened, the better it will be for you." He leaned over, putting a reassuring hand on the teen's shoulder. "Trust me, if he's anything like _my_ folks, you don't want him to find out about this from someone else- _especially_ if he hasn't noticed they're missing yet."

Devlet sighed heavily, but nodded.

"We should probably get going," Aeris said, pushing herself to her feet. "By the way, when the skeeskee started attacking you, why didn't you just drive away?" she asked.

"He lost the keys to his dad's car when he was setting up the charges," Keisha explained.

Devlet groaned as he dropped his head into his hands.

Zack whistled, looking over the trashed car. "Kid, your father's going to _murder_ you."

"Zack!" Aeris hissed, elbowing him in the ribs.

"What? It's true!"

She rolled her eyes. "It's called 'tact,' Zack," she said.

"There's no use sugar-coating it," Zack argued, shrugging. "He screwed up bigtime. We both know that and so does he. Why bother dancing around the issue?"

"You could at least _try_ to be a little more sensitive!"

"No, he's right," Devlet said, pushing himself to his feet. "If you guys hadn't come along, Keisha and I would be..."

"Monster chow?" Zack supplied. Aeris promptly elbowed him again.

Devlet nodded. "Yeah. And you're right: I should be the one to tell my dad what happened."

"That's the spirit!" Zack said, lightly punching the teen's shoulder. "Come on! I'll help you push the car home- uh, you guys are from Cosmo Canyon, right?"

It didn't take long to decide their marching order, Keisha sitting in the driver's seat steering because she was the lightest and Aeris keeping an eye out for monsters while the males pushed the car along the dusty road. Aeris' materia was able to take care of most of the monsters they encountered, although Zack had to pitch in a handful of times.

It was dusk by the time they reached their destination, the setting sun hitting the canyon just right and illuminating the vibrant red clay. The town itself was built high up near the top of one of the walls, the houses carved out of the hillside itself with a large observatory sitting at the very top. The only access to the town was a steep road that curved around the back of the cliff wall and disappeared from view.

"There is _no way_ I am pushing this car up _that_ ," Zack declared, panting. "Put the brake on, Keisha- the mechanics can hike down here and get it themselves."

Devlet wiped a bit of sweat from his brow, wearily sinking to the ground and leaning against the bumper.

They rested for a few minutes before continuing on up to the town. Zack noticed Devlet's mood plummet now that he wasn't forced to devote all his energy to pushing the car. He was looking more and more like a man walking to his own execution with each step.

When they reached the base of the stone staircase that would take them to the town square, Zack threw his arm over Devlet's shoulders. "Hey, cheer up," he said, grinning. "Your dad will be glad to see you tonight. Sure, he'll skin you alive _tomorrow_ , but tonight he's just going to be happy you're okay."

Devlet gave swordsman a shaky smile, knowing Zack was trying to reassure him in his own way. "Thanks," he said sincerely. Taking a deep breath, the teenager straightened his back and held his head high as he marched up the steps, leaving the others to follow behind him.

An arch gateway was located at the top of the stairs, a sentry standing in the middle of it keeping watch. Another staircase continued on beyond the gate, leading to a tunnel into the mountain itself. To the right of the gate was a large open area, a bonfire merrily burning on a raised stone platform in the middle. Numerous wind turbines could be seen throughout the town, perched atop outcroppings rock too narrow or inaccessible for buildings. Metal braziers were placed around the plaza and along the stone stairs, a few people going around and lighting them as twilight faded to night. Shops and stalls lined the edges of the square, most set in holes carved out of the red rock with only a few freestanding huts. Quite a few buildings protruded from further up the canyon wall at several different heights, though only a few were accessible via ladders from the town square. Zack figured there must be a network of caves that connected all the buildings and couldn't help but wonder how long it had taken to build the entire town.

The gatekeeper raised an eyebrow as the group approached, his eyes widening at the blood staining the teen's white shirt. "Devlet, you're bleeding! What happened?" he asked, rushing toward the boy.

"I'm fine, dad," Devlet said, looking guilty as his father verified the teen was really okay. "It was all my fault, anyway."

Once he was sure his son was alright, the gatekeeper's stern gaze met the boy's green eyes. "What happened?"

Devlet took a deep breath. "I'm sorry father," he said, forcing himself to look the older man in the eye. "I was trying to impress Keisha, so I took some of Uncle Seth's charges and the car out into the canyon. I'd heard him talking about being able to find artifacts in the canyon walls and tried to do it myself. Instead, I caused a rockslide and destroyed the nest of some skeeskee."

His father looked suitably shocked, but held his tongue as Devlet continued.

"We ran to the car, hoping to get away, but I lost the keys. The skeeskee attacked us, beating up the car pretty badly. One broke through the windshield and started climbing inside." He hesitated, remembering crouching down by the passenger seat under the dash, watching the monster's furious eyes as it clawed its way closer to him... He clenched his hands into fists, trying to hide how badly they were shaking.

"That was when Zack and Aeris showed up," he said, glancing over his shoulder at the pair. "They fought off the monsters, healed us and helped us push the car home. I..." He shook his head, taking another deep breath. Talking about what happened was harder than he thought it would be. "I was irresponsible and reckless and almost got both myself and Keisha killed," he continued, looking his father in the eye once more. "I'll accept whatever punishment you choose."

Wordlessly the gatekeeper pulled his son into his arms, holding him tightly for a minute or two. "We _will_ have words about this later," he promised, squeezing the teen before stepping back. "But for right now, I'm just glad you're alright. Go get cleaned up and then find Seth," he said meaningfully.

Devlet meekly nodded, hearing the unspoken demand to confess his guilt to his uncle as well. Eyes once more lowered to the ground, he stepped past his father and headed toward the second set of stairs that led to the tunnel.

The gatekeeper watched him go before turning back to the group. "I don't know what I'm going to do with that boy," he sighed, shaking his head.

"I think he's learned his lesson," Aeris said gently. "I'm sure it was a terrible ordeal to go through."

"The lesson will probably stick this time- near death experiences have a way of driving the point home," Zack added seriously.

The man nodded before remembering himself. "Sorry, Tavish Orozco and I can't thank you enough for your help Zack, Aeris," he said, meeting both their gazes as he extended his hand.

Zack shook his hand firmly. "No problem, it was just lucky that we were traveling through the area."

Tavish nodded again, knowing well what would have happened to the teens without intervention. "Well, you're both welcome to stay here as long as you like. I'd show you to the inn, but I can't leave my post."

"I can take them," Keisha spoke up, stepping out from where she'd been mostly hidden from view behind Zack.

"Alright," Tavish agreed. "I'm sure this excursion was mostly Devlet's idea, so I'll talk to your parents about it later."

She dropped her gaze, fiddling with the hem of the borrowed shirt as she nodded. "Yes, sir."

"An inn sounds great," Zack said, grinning. "I don't know about you Aeris, but I could _really_ use a bath."

"Trust me," Aeris replied, stepping away from him. "I know."

"Hey!"

Tavish chuckled at the young couple, waving them through the gate.

Keisha led them across the town square to a building on the other side of the bonfire. "It's right in here, just up the stairs to the right," she said, indicating the door. "I should probably head home."

"Thanks for your help," Zack said, stepping past her. "We'll probably be in town for a while so we'll see you around, yeah?"

Keisha nodded, clasping her hands behind her back. "Um, Zack?"

"Yeah?" he asked, hand resting on the door handle.

Keisha idly kicked a rock with her foot. "Um, I just wanted to, um, thank you," she said, finally daring to meet his eyes. "For saving me today."

"You're welcome," Zack said, giving her a wide grin. "Thank you for being my 'damsel in distress' for the day." He leaned toward her, holding a hand up to the side of his mouth so Aeris couldn't see what he was saying. "Lately, Aeris has flat out _refused_ to fill the position- can you believe that?" he stage-whispered conspiratorially.

Keisha giggled, offering him a shy grin. "Oh, I'll return your shirt tomorrow Aeris," she said. "I want to wash it first."

Aeris nodded. "Thank you."

"Well, goodnight," Keisha said, giving Zack another shy grin before hurrying back across the town square.

Aeris watched her go, a soft smile on her face. "I do believe you have gained a fan, Zack," she commented.

"Nah, it's just because we saved her," he said dismissively, shrugging. "She'll get over it in a few days."

"Oh, I think it's more than that," Aeris said, watching as Keisha climbed up the stairs Devlet had taken earlier and disappeared into the mountain. "Classic fairy tales are filled with stories of strong and handsome knights riding in to slay the dragon and rescue the princess before both ride off into the sunset." She turned back, grinning at Zack. "I think she just found her dragon and her knight all in the same day."

Zack laughed, slipping his arm around Aeris' shoulders. "Don't worry- I may be a knight for hire, available to take out any monsters in need of slaying, but you know you're the only one I'll ride off into the sunset with."

"I'm not worried about me," Aeris said patiently. "Just try not to lead her on, okay?"

"Seriously Aeris? She's like fourteen, _maybe_ fifteen. What kind of guy do you think I am?"

"I think you flirt with everyone without even realizing it," she replied. "And it's nothing short of awe-inspiring watching you fight. To say you've made an impression would be an understatement. She has a crush on you at the very least. Maybe she'll get over it in a few days, maybe not. All I'm asking is for you to be careful with how you treat her from now on."

Zack scratched his chin, a bit bemused by the situation in general. "I'll try?" he offered, the words coming out as more of a question. He shrugged. "I'm honestly not sure how. But, if it's just a crush, then I'll just have to make sure she knows I'm unavailable," he said, leaning in and kissing Aeris' cheek.

Aeris giggled, pushing him away and turning back to the door. "Maybe _after_ you take a bath."

 **. . .**

 **To Be Continued**

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	14. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

Zack woke slowly, blinking up at the darkened stone ceiling as he gradually became aware of the soft mattress he was lying on and the warm blankets he was cocooned in. It took his mind a moment to process where he was, vaguely remembering booking a room at the inn and crawling into bed the previous night. He stretched, letting out a soft groan as his sore muscles protested the movement, and pushed the covers aside as he sat up.

The light peeking in around the edges of the door provided enough illumination for Zack to see his two companions still asleep on the couch and the second bed respectively, although he couldn't pick out any details. The inn only had one free room, so all three of them had to share. Not wanting to repeat his mistake on the boat, Zack had made sure to sign Cloud in as a guest as well and the innkeeper had pulled a couch out of storage for the blonde to sleep on. It was a tight fit in the room, but given the alternative of sleeping on the hard ground outside, Zack wasn't about to complain.

Opting to let Aeris sleep, Zack dressed quickly in the dark and headed downstairs. A continental breakfast had been laid out along the bar and several other patrons were already eating at the tables. Zack snatched a bagel from the basket as he walked past, heading to the check-in counter.

The clerk sitting behind the desk was a middle-aged man, hair cut short with a bit of gray at his temples. He was dressed in a plaid button up shirt and a worn pair of brown trousers, idly chewing on the earpiece of his glasses as he looked over the ledger. He glanced up as Zack approached, folding up his glasses and smiling warmly. "Good morning friend," he greeted, as Zack stopped in front of the desk. "I trust you slept well?"

"Best night of sleep I've had all week," Zack answered with a grin. "Camping is fun for a couple days, but the novelty wears off real fast."

"I hear ya," the innkeeper answered, nodding. "So are you planning on staying with us awhile or just passing through?"

"I'm not quite sure yet," Zack answered, scratching his head distractedly. "Do you have any experts on the Lifestream here?"

The man raised an eyebrow. "It's a bit surprising hearing someone from SOLDIER refer to it as such, if you don't mind me saying."

"Ex-SOLDIER," Zack corrected with slight shrug. "And it's a pretty new revelation to me, too."

The innkeeper nodded in acceptance, leaning back slightly in his chair. "Most of the studies here are of the land itself and how different things affect the Planet as a whole," he explained, idly tapping his glasses against his chin in thought. "The Lifestream is a difficult thing to study, being as it isn't up here on the surface. But if you're looking for information on it, I think Bugenhagen would be your best bet."

"Bugenhagen," Zack repeated, committing the name to memory. "Right. Any idea where I can find him?"

"He lives in the observatory at the top of the town," the innkeeper said. "Take the stairs up on the other side of the plaza into the mountain. Look for the Tiger Lily Arms Shop and take the wooden staircase next to it. Head left- it'll take you out of the mountain to another staircase that leads back into the mountain. From there, you'll see three doors on your right and a ladder that goes up to-" He stopped, chuckling at Zack's lost expression. "Just start with the stairs across the plaza and ask people to point you in the right direction."

"Thanks," Zack said, smiling slightly. "Do you think it's too early to talk to him?"

The innkeeper shrugged. "Most of the locals are up by now. Bugenhagen's room is on one of the upper levels in the observatory, so if he isn't you won't wake him up unless you really pound on the door."

"Thanks," Zack repeated, taking a bite of his bagel as he headed for the door.

The inside of the mountain was a veritable maze, the pathways and rooms branching off in odd places. Logically it made sense that the residents had enlarged the caves already in existence instead of starting from scratch, but it made it rather difficult for Zack to keep his bearings. The people were friendly enough and kindly kept him heading in the right direction, even when he accidentally barged into someone's home by mistake- which, for the record, was not his fault. What sort of person used a curtain in place of a front door, anyway?

Despite the confusing layout of the town, it didn't take long before Zack was climbing up the ladder that led to the top of the mountain. He pulled himself out of the hole, blinking as he realized just how big the observatory was. It was at least three stories high with a telescope easily as wide as Zack was tall sticking out of the top. A shed had been built on one side of it and a modest house on the other with a rickety fence going all around the edge mountain top. A tall gate was off to one side, allowing access to little more than a mailbox and a sheer drop-off. Zack scratched his head at that, wondering who would deliver mail to a place like that before shrugging and heading over to the house.

Zack knocked on the door, being mindful of the relatively early hour. He listened for signs of movement within, hearing the rustle of cloth and an odd humming noise, but no footsteps. He waited for a minute or two before deciding Bugenhagen wasn't up yet and was just turning to go when the door opened behind him.

An old man was standing in the doorway, dressed in a flowing dark blue robe with a yellow sash tied around the middle. What was left of his white hair was pulled back in a low ponytail, a bushy mustache and beard covering his mouth while a pair of dark tinted glasses hid his eyes from view. However, the most notable thing about him was the large green orb he was standing on, allowing him to float several inches above the ground. He raised one bushy eyebrow, chuckling lightly at Zack's expression. "Good morning, young man," he greeted, his voice weathered but cheerful. "Were you looking for something in particular or did you get lost and end up here?"

Zack snapped his mouth shut, shaking his head slightly. "No, sorry, I'm looking for Bugenhagen?"

"Then you've come to the right place. Come in, come in," the old man said, floating backward and opening the door further. Zack followed him inside, taking a seat at the table at the old man's gesture. "Can I get you something to drink? Tea, water or milk? I'm afraid I don't have any coffee- haven't been able to stomach the stuff in years."

"Uh, no. I'm fine, thanks," Zack said. "Are you Bugenhagen?"

"For as long as I can remember," the old man said, pouring some hot water from a kettle on the stove into a mug with a tea bag. "What might your name be?"

"Zack. Zack Fair."

Bugenhagen chuckled again. "So, what can I do for you this fine morning Zack Fair?" he asked, floating over to the table opposite Zack.

"I have some questions about the Lifestream," Zack said. "Specifically regarding how it reacts with the human body in higher concentrations."

The old man seemed to slip down to a cross-legged position on the floating ball, though it was difficult to tell with his robes hiding his legs from view. "An interesting question, to be sure," he said, leaning forward and resting his mug on the worn tabletop and clasping his hands around it. "One that I think you might be able to answer better than I."

Zack shook his head. "I'm not talking about the mako treatments ShinRa uses to make SOLDIERs," he said. "I have a friend with mako poisoning- a real bad case. No one I've talked to so far has been able to do anything for him. I got to talking to another friend about the Lifestream and we came to the conclusion that it's basically another name for mako. So, I thought I'd try talking to an expert on that."

"ShinRa's studies on the subject have been far more, shall we say, _comprehensive_ than mine," Bugenhagen stated solemnly. "But, I sense there is a reason you have not taken your friend to them, hm?"

Zack nodded, hoping the old man didn't ask why.

"I'll be honest with you," Bugenhagen said frankly. "We don't study that type of thing here and I am not qualified in any sort of medical field."

"I just don't know what else to do. It's been over a year since... And he still hasn't..." Zack let out a deep sigh, running his hands through his hair.

"Now, hold on just a minute! This may be an unprecedented case, but that doesn't mean we can't do something about it. Never know if you don't try, right?" he asked, sipping from his cup. "Besides, if _you_ give up now, what's going to happen to your friend, hm?"

Zack eagerly leaned forward, his heart feeling lighter than it had in weeks. "Do you have an idea of something that can help him?" he asked.

Bugenhagen took a long sip of his tea before looking up with a perfectly straight face. "Not a clue."

Zack just stared at him for several seconds. "Seriously?!" he asked, slumping back in his seat. "You really sounded like you were leading up to something there!"

"I haven't even _seen_ the boy yet- what would I be leading up to?" he asked, chuckling again. "I'm an old wise man, not a miracle worker!"

"Alright, alright, fair enough," Zack grumbled, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips despite his irritation. Bugenhagen was starting to remind him of a crazy grandpa you couldn't help but like, teasing and all. "When would be a good time for you to look at him then?"

"Hm." Bugenhagen took another sip of tea. "I'm free right now, if that is agreeable with you?"

"Now?" Zack repeated, blinking in surprise. "Uh, sure. That works for me."

The old man smiled, setting his cup down on the table. "Then let us be off," he said, remaining seated as he floated over and opened the door for Zack. "After you."

Zack exited the house and headed back over to the ladder, Bugenhagen floating along behind him. The old man chuckled when Zack asked if he could lead the way through the maze of caves that made up the town, but did so without complaint. It didn't take them long to reach the inn.

"Good morning Bugenhagen," the inn keeper greeted as they walked through the door. "I see you managed to find your way alright," he added to Zack.

"Good morning Josen," Bugenhagen returned with a nod.

"Yeah, though I did take a few wrong turns," Zack admitted.

"Your lady friend was asking after you a little bit ago," Josen said, pointing toward the restaurant area off to the side of the main lobby. "I think she's still in there getting breakfast."

"Thanks," Zack said, heading over there. He spotted Aeris sitting at a corner table eating a pastry with a plate of fruit in front of her while talking to two men. She was so engrossed in the conversation that she didn't hear Zack come up behind her.

"I see you've made some new friends," Zack said, putting his hands on her shoulders.

Aeris jumped a little at the unexpected touch. "Zack! Don't sneak up on me like that!" she scolded, putting one hand to her chest.

Zack just laughed. "I just wanted to let you know that I was back- I brought someone to take a look at Cloud," he said, gesturing to Bugenhagen beside him. He paused at the intense expression on the old man's face as he studied Aeris.

"Oh, let me finish up here and I'll be right up," Aeris said.

"Don't rush on my account, my dear," Bugenhagen said, his face crinkling in a smile. "I'm just going to take a look at...Cloud, was it?" he asked, turning to Zack.

"Uh, yeah," Zack said, trying to gauge Bugenhagen's reaction to Aeris. He didn't think he had imagined the odd look but the glasses made it difficult to read his expression. Maybe he had simply misinterpreted it? He shook his head slightly, putting it on the back burner for now. "We'll just be upstairs. You seemed to be enjoying your discussion of... uh, whatever you were talking about."

"Phytomorphology," one of the men supplied.

Zack blinked. "Fido-what?"

"Basically the study of plants," the other man explained.

Zack opened his mouth to ask why they didn't just say that but decided again it, shaking his head instead. "Right. Anyway, take your time Aeris," he said, glancing back at her. "We're not going anywhere."

Aeris nodded, diving back into the discussion as Zack led Bugenhagen to their room. Cloud was awake, his blue eyes glowing in the darkness before Zack flipped the light on. "I brought someone to meet you, Cloud," Zack said, moving over to the blonde. "This is Bugenhagen. He's gonna take a look at you, okay?" Zack didn't wait for a response he wasn't going to get, turning his attention back to Bugenhagen. "Would you rather have him lying down or sitting up?"

"Lying down is fine," the old man assured him. "But he can sit up on his own?"

"Sure," Zack said. "Well, you have to help him into the position to start with and he slouches pretty bad, but he can stay sitting up by himself," he amended.

Bugenhagen nodded, floating closer to the prone blonde.

Zack watched as the old man looked Cloud over, doing a number of standard medical tests such as checking his pulse and shining a light in his eyes. "I thought you said you didn't have any medical training?" he asked after a few minutes as Bugenhagen was testing muscle reflexes.

"I don't," Bugenhagen chuckled. "But when you get to be as old as I am, you pick up a few things along the way- especially with young ones that like 'adventuring' a little too much."

Aeris stepped into the room, preempting Zack's reply. Seeing Bugenhagen still looking over Cloud, she moved to sit next to Zack on the bed.

Bugenhagen straightened up after another moment or two, turning to look at Zack. "You wouldn't happen to have any healing materia would you?" he asked. "Just something with the base spells, nothing fancy."

"Yeah," Zack said, digging around in his pockets for a moment before pulling out a green orb. "I've got a Cure right here."

"Splendid," he replied, although he made no move to take the offered materia. "Would you mind helping me, young lady?" he asked, turning to Aeris. "I just need you to cast that spell on Cloud's foot."

Aeris looked a little confused but, at Zack's encouraging nod, took the materia and moved over to the couch by Cloud's feet. Bugenhagen was floating near his head and motioning for her to cast while peering closely at the blonde's face. He nodded to himself as the green glow of Aeris' materia faded, folding his arms pensively as he sat back.

"Would you mind doing the same thing to Zack?" Bugenhagen asked, floating closer to the ex-SOLDIER.

"What?" Zack asked, looking at the old man like he'd grown another head. "Why?"

"I've never studied SOLDIERs," Bugenhagen pointed out. "So I'm using you as a baseline for Cloud. I need to know if you react to materia the same way."

"O...kay," he said slowly, not quite sure what reaction the old man was looking for. Aeris cast the spell again and Zack had to force himself not to move away when Bugenhagen leaned in uncomfortably close, studying his face intently.

"I see," Bugenhagen muttered, pulling back and floating closer to Cloud once more.

"What?" Zack asked, distractedly accepting the materia back from Aeris. "What is it?"

"Your friend is more...sensitive? Susceptible? To spirit energy than he should be."

"Spirit energy?" Zack repeated.

"There are many different names for it: magic, Lifestream, mako," Bugenhagen explained. "It is all the same, in one form or another. Children are blessed with it and brought into this world. When they grow old and die those spirits return, merging with others and roaming the Planet. They roam, converge and divide, becoming a swell called the Lifestream. ShinRa has found a way to tap into that energy, condensing it to be used for more mundane purposes and calling it mako."

"Okay," Zack said, taking a deep breath as he tried to wrap his head around that. "But what did you mean when you said Cloud's more susceptible to it?"

"Materia is spirit energy that has been condensed and crystallized. You are able to use it by using your own energy to activate that contained within the materia itself," Bugenhagen continued. "This is the truth behind magic. However, since it is the energy inside the materia that actually powers whatever spell you are casting, the spirit energy inside of you is neither diminished nor enhanced by using materia. Do you understand?"

"Uh, maybe?" Zack said, scratching his head.

"I think I do," Aeris said, sitting next to Zack once more. "It's kind of like building a fire- the kindling is already there, but you have to provide the spark to light it, right?"

"Exactly," Bugenhagen agreed, nodding. "And though you created the spark, the actual burning of wood is separate and does not affect you. However, that is not the case for Cloud here."

"How so?" Zack asked.

"A trademark of SOLDIER is the glow in your eyes, yes?" Bugenhagen asked. "It is a visible reminder that you have had mako introduced into your body. When the young lady- Aeris, was it? -cast the spell on you, the glow in your eyes did not change in the slightest. You have already acclimated to the mako in you, your body managing to find a balance within it. Cloud's eyes, on the other hand, shone much more brightly before settling back to their presumably usual glow."

"And what does that mean?" Zack asked, knowing he wasn't going to like the answer.

"I would guess it means he's in a state of flux, susceptible to influence from outside sources. The energy used in the spell seemed to increase- however slightly -the amount of mako in his system, though whether it was only temporary or if he actually absorbed it, I cannot say." He turned his gaze back on the blonde still lying on the couch. "The root cause of the problem seems to be the mako itself. He obviously can't process it on his own. We need to remove it from his body, or at least lessen the amount inside him."

Zack was staring, slack-jawed at the old man. He knew that materia was made from mako but it had never occurred to him that using materia on Cloud could in fact be making him worse. He swore under his breath as his eyes drifted to the basket sitting innocently on floor. How many times had they shrunk and restored Cloud to his proper size in the last two weeks _alone_? He closed his eyes as he felt Aeris' hand on his arm, knowing she had guessed his train of thought. "Any ideas on how to do that?" he asked, focusing on the problem at hand. He could deal with his guilt later.

Bugenhagen was silent for a long moment. "Perhaps," he said at last. "I cannot be certain that it will work- we only had theories about it before it became too dangerous to study further..."

"Theories about what?"

"Hm. There is a cave here that has some...very unusual properties," Bugenhagen stated. "We had been studying it for years, trying to discover its secrets. Unfortunately, we were attacked by a vicious tribe that- well, I won't bore you with a history lesson of the canyon. It was a long battle with much loss of life on both sides. We were ultimately victorious, but it soon became apparent that something had changed inside the cave. The ghosts of those killed in the battle had begun to gather there instead of returning to the Lifestream and their hatred had not waned in death. They could not leave the cave, but had become far too dangerous for us to enter in and continue our studies as before. It has been sealed off ever since."

"Okay," Zack said, looking a little confused. "How does that help us?"

"We were able to speak with some of our warriors before the madness claimed them," Bugenhagen said, his voice sorrowful at the memory. "There is some force in the cave that draws spirit energy to it. None of those who had studied the cave previously had been affected, but the dead assured us that it was there. It was why they could not leave." He shook his head, visibly pulling himself back to the present. "I believe that this force might be able to help drain away the extra mako in Cloud's body."

"So, we're gonna go with a mysterious energy-stealing force in a haunted cave," Zack summed up, half hoping it sounded better when he said it out loud. It didn't. "Sounds like a party. When do we start?"

 **. . .**

 **To Be Continued**

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	15. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

Zack eyed the reinforced steel door Bugenhagen had led him to with some surprise. Given what he'd seen of the town so far, he'd figured 'sealed off' loosely translated to 'a wooden door that locked.' The military grade materials that comprised the door looked very out of place against the cavern walls. "You weren't kidding about sealing it off," Zack muttered, shifting his grip as Cloud stumbled over the uneven ground.

"It's very dangerous beyond here," Bugenhagen stated again, gesturing to the door, "so I won't be going past this point and the door will be shut behind you." He reached into a pocket in his sleeve, pulling out a small key and unlocking a panel nest to the door, revealing a lever. "I'll find someone to wait here to let you out- just pound on the door," he said, flipping the lever up.

The metal groaned as it was activated for the first time in who knew how many years, the thick steel plates sliding apart and disappearing into the wall. Taking a deep breath Zack walked into the passage, keeping his pace slow to match Cloud's stumbling gait. When they were a few steps past the door Bugenhagen closed it, the heavy metal plates sliding home with a resounding _boom_ that echoed through the cave.

Ten or so yards down the path, Zack spotted a problem. A single bare bulb hung from a few steel beams that crisscrossed the roof, illuminating a couple barrels and crates covered with a thick layer of dust and a wooden ladder descending down into a wide pit. Zack peered over the edge of the hole, noting the ladder lead to a smaller platform about fifteen feet below him. A rope was anchored at its edge, presumably leading to another ledge further down.

Not trusting the ladder to hold both his and Cloud's weight, Zack eyed the distance carefully, adjusted his grip on the blonde and hopped down to the lower ledge. Cloud's weight threw off his balance slightly, but he managed to land them both on their feet. The next platform was only about six feet below them, with another ladder leaning against its side. Zack groaned, hoping there weren't too many more ledges.

Zack hopped between seven more platforms before finding himself at the bottom of the pit. The meager light from the single bulb at the top of the shaft couldn't reach all the way to the bottom, but that wasn't a problem. A glowing green moss covered the walls in thick patches, easily casting enough light for Zack's enhanced eyesight. Readjusting his grip on Cloud once more, he headed down the only path available to him.

It wasn't long before the passage opened up into a larger cavern, a number of large stalactites covering the ceiling. The moss grew in patches over the walls, the amount of light provided not bright by any definition of the word but giving off enough light that Zack didn't regret not bringing a flashlight. The path widened out a little bit, about twelve feet between the wall on one side and the drop-off on the other. A few stalagmites jutted sharply out of the floor by the wall a little further in, the path splitting to the left and the right beyond them. Figuring that looked like as good a place as any, Zack walked Cloud over and sat the blonde down in the corner made by the stalagmites.

Stretching to restore proper circulation after half-carrying Cloud so far, Zack turned around only to be met with a spear head being thrust at his face. He reflexively jerked to the side, the spear grazing his cheek as it passed. He blocked the spear with his sword as his assailant switched from a thrust to a slash and Zack was able to get his first good look at his opponent.

It looked like a human, although all of its visible skin was sickly gray in color. A tan cape hung over its shoulders and down its back, the hood pulled low enough to obscure the face. It looked severely malnourished, its ribs easily countable beneath taut skin. Knee-high boots covered its feet, which were hovering several inches above the floor and explained why Zack didn't hear it walk up behind him. It seemed this was one of the ghosts Bugenhagen had told him about.

Zack pushed the spear away from himself before darting forward to get inside the ghost's range and slashing it from shoulder to hip. The ghost jumped backward as it raised its spear to block the stroke only for the sword to slice through the wooden shaft right along with its body. Two glowing eyes stared out from beneath the hood, meeting Zack's gaze as the two halves of its body faded away to nothing.

Zack took a deep breath, returning his sword to the magnetic sheath on his back before turning to Cloud. "Well, that wasn't quite what I was- Cloud!" he yelled, jumping back toward his friend. A huge elongated skull had appeared in the air above the blonde, wickedly sharp teeth filling its jaws. It tilted down toward Cloud, jaws opening as if it was going to swallow him whole. Zack slashed with his sword, over-balancing as the blade met no resistance when it slid straight through, the skull rippling slightly as it passed. Zack swore as he realized it was some sort of spell, whirling around to see what had cast it. A second ghost was floating off to their right, glowing eyes seeming to be fixed on Cloud although it raised its spear challengingly when Zack spotted it. A quick casting of firaga took care of the ghost, allowing the ex-SOLDIER to focus on his friend.

Zack looked Cloud over as thoroughly as he could in the poor lighting, not finding anything wrong with him. He briefly debated using his sense materia to double-check, but quickly vetoed the idea. The reason they were in here in the first place was to fix that problem, not add to it. Hoping the ghost's spell either didn't work or that Zack had disrupted it somehow, the swordsman turned his attention to the area around them.

Zack walked around for a few minutes, never wandering more than twenty or so feet from Cloud. He didn't see any more ghosts in the immediate area, but for all he knew they could appear through walls, so that didn't mean much. Out of curiosity, he peered over the edge of the path, noting there was a lower path fifteen or so feet below. He filed the information away for later, hoping that he wouldn't have a reason to need it.

A low growl drew his attention and Zack whirled toward the sound. He spotted a vaguely lion-like creature stepping around the bend in the path. Its fur was brown, matted and missing entire clumps of it here and there. Sharp teeth lined its mouth, barred aggressively as it slunk closer. Its ribs were horribly misshapen, jutting straight out from the sides and back of its spine instead of curled protectively around its organs. Zack blinked in surprise when he realized the creature was another one of the undead, literally made up of little more than fur and bones. He raised his sword as a second creature joined the first from behind bend.

Zack took a few careful steps away from the edge as they slowly stalked toward him, giving himself a bit more room to fight. They spread out as they stepped past the stalagmites, walking within a few feet of the blonde sitting there. Zack let out a silent sigh of relief when they didn't even glance in Cloud's direction, completely focused on the ex-SOLDIER.

Zack primed his firaga materia as they circled him, waiting until one was almost directly to his left. He released the spell, the creature letting out an ear-splitting shriek as it was engulfed in flames. The first one wasted no time in attacking, rushing the ex-SOLDIER with surprising speed. Zack managed to get his sword up to parry the animal's claws, leaning backward as it snapped its teeth at him over top of the blade. He kicked it hard in the chest, knocking it off his sword and leapt forward before it could recover, delivering the killing blow.

He turned away as the body faded to nothing like the ghosts had earlier, scanning the area for any sign of the second creature. It was nowhere to be seen, either having been killed by the fire or escaping while Zack was busy. Not particularly worried about its whereabouts as long as it wasn't here, Zack returned his sword once more to its sheath. "Bugenhagen wasn't kidding about this place," he mused aloud, more to fill the silence than anything else.

A soft _thump_ drew his attention back to Cloud, noting the blonde had fallen over. A few quick steps had him at his friend's side, gently easing the smaller man onto his back. Cloud's eyes were closed, his expression as blank as ever. Zack quickly checked his pulse and breathing, letting his shoulders slump when he realized Cloud had just fallen asleep. "Man, you're gonna make me gray long before my time, Spiky," he muttered, carding a hand through his hair.

It was hard to keep track of the long hours in the dark. Various monsters had attacked them a few more times, though the constant threat of something literally appearing out of thin air was wearing on Zack's nerves more than anything else. He scrubbed his hands across his face, plopping tiredly down beside the still-sleeping Cloud.

"I'm not sure what's worse," he started conversationally, rolling his shoulder to ease the tense muscles. "The monotony of sitting in the dark or jumping at every little sound like a brand new SOLDIER on his first solo assignment." He sighed, leaning back against the wall. "I know, I know," he continued, waving a hand as if to brush aside a retort from his unconscious companion. "How can I be bored out of my mind and so high-strung that I feel like I might rip something if I'm startled at the same time, right?" He sighed, tilting his head back to lean against the rocky wall. "I don't know, man, but I'm doing it."

His eyes lazily roamed over the darkness obscuring the ceiling, settling on a faint patch that was slightly lighter than the rest. He stared at it for awhile, blinking when he realized it was actually slowly pulsing. It was barely noticeable, but the moss would gradually grow brighter for a minute or two before fading back to its original faint glow at the same pace. Zack watched it for several more minutes, idly wondering if that was normal.

"Zack?"

The unexpected noise startled Zack to his feet, his hand automatically reaching for his sword. The motion was aborted mid swing when he staggered dizzily, his hand clutching the rocky wall beside him to keep himself upright as the room spun. He closed his eyes against the painfully bright light that swung back and forth in front of him, belatedly recognizing Aeris' worried voice although he couldn't quite make out the words past the roaring in his ears. He vaguely registered her gentle hand on his arm before the warmth of a healing spell washed over him.

The dizziness vanished immediately as both sight and hearing were restored. Zack straightened up, releasing his desperate grip on the wall now that the weakness had passed. His eyes sought out Aeris' face, noting her worried frown.

"Are you alright Zack?" she asked, still holding his arm. "What happened?"

"I'm...not sure," he answered, rubbing the back of his neck. "I guess I wasn't really paying attention and you startled me. Maybe I just stood up too fast...?" he guessed. "Thanks for the healing spell, by the way- that fixed me right up."

"You're welcome," Aeris replied, still looking him over carefully. "Are you sure you're feeling alright now? You don't need me to cast again?"

"No, I'm great," he assured her. He felt fine now, better than he had for the last few hours in fact. He paused as something occurred to him. "Hey...that's it! It's the cave!" he exclaimed excitedly.

"What?"

"The cave! The reason we brought Cloud down here! He passed out _hours_ ago and I didn't really think anything of it, but I've got mako in me too, right? It only makes sense!" he explained, eyes bright with excitement.

Aeris blinked in confusion before managing to piece together his disjointed train of thought. "The cave..." she murmured thoughtfully. "You think it's affecting you too?"

"Yeah- I mean, it makes sense, right?" he asked.

Aeris nodded slowly. "I suppose so."

"I didn't even notice it happening! Fortunately, you already cleverly figured out how to counter it- I can periodically cast cure on myself to keep it from being a problem," Zack rambled. "Still, it's nice to know this is working- Cloud should be back to normal in no time!"

Aeris smiled at his enthusiasm. "Are you ready to call it a day?" she asked.

Zack stopped short, blinking at her. "What?"

"You've been down here all day," Aeris pointed out. "It's almost sunset. I know you were adamant that I _not_ come down here and I thought I had just missed you at lunch, but Devlet said you hadn't surfaced all day. I was getting worried." She moved her hand down his arm and interlocked their fingers, her other hand keeping her flashlight pointed at the floor. "You're not planning on sleeping down here, are you?"

While it had certainly felt like he'd been down here forever, it still surprised Zack that it was so late in the day. "No, I'm not sleeping down here- ghost stories around the campfire are one thing, but I draw the line at sleeping somewhere ghosts actually show up with some regularity." He squeezed her hand apologetically. "I didn't mean to worry you. It's easy to lose track of time down here."

"Have you been sitting in the dark all day?" she asked, shining her light around to get a better look at the cave.

Zack winced at the bright light after so long in the dark. "I can see well enough with the light from the moss," he explained, shrugging. "But, I do think its time to call it a day."

Being unable to wake Cloud, Zack opted to lift him in a fireman's carry and headed back to the shaft that would take them to town. It was harder gauging where he needed to jump from below the platforms, so he opted to simply fly Cloud to the top while Aeris climbed up the ropes and ladders. His eyes had mostly adjusted to the [blindingly bright] light given off by the single bulb at the top of the pit by the time Aeris made it out.

Since Zack had his hands full, Aeris knocked politely on the door, the hollow sound echoing around them. A moment or two later the gears whirred to life, steel plates sliding back to reveal a nervous Devlet standing on the other side. His face relaxed at the sight of Zack, a relieved grin spreading across it. "Oh good, you're alright," he said, stepping aside to let them past. "I was worried when you didn't come out, especially after how dangerous Bugenhagen said it was..."

"Sorry," Zack apologized, readjusting Cloud on his shoulder. "I kind of lost track of time. So, how'd you get roped into guard duty?"

"It's my punishment for yesterday," the teen answered, shrugging. "You know, because nothing teaches responsibility like standing around for hours doing nothing."

Zack laughed, following Aeris through the door. "I hear you, man. Back when I was in the army, there was almost nothing I wouldn't do to get out of guard duty."

Devlet nodded, turning the lever to close the door behind them. His eyes lingered on the limp blonde, teeth worrying his lip as he debated whether or not to ask about him. "So, uh, not to be rude or anything, but... Where'd your friend come from?"

"Oh, Cloud was with us when we ran into you and Keisha," Zack said. "As you can probably tell, Cloud doesn't have the easiest time getting around. So, we shrunk him down with all our luggage and stuff and Aeris carried him in the basket."

Devlet blinked several times before shaking his head and locking the panel over the switch to the door. "I'm not even gonna pretend that what you just said makes sense," he stated. "Bugenhagen told me that you need access to the cave until your friend gets better. I'll be the one to let you in and out whenever you need it, so what time do you want me here in the morning?"

"How about 7:30?" Aeris suggested. "Time enough for breakfast while still allowing you to head down into the cave early?"

"Sounds good to me," Zack agreed.

"And do I need to bring a lunch tomorrow?" Devlet asked, jogging to catch up with them.

"Probably," Zack replied.

"He can have a surprisingly one-track mind," Aeris added in a conspiratorial tone. Zack grinned sheepishly.

"Alright. I'll see you tomorrow then," the teen said, disappearing down a side tunnel.

"See you later," Zack called after him. They continued walking in companionable silence, Aeris leading the way back to the inn. Zack couldn't help the grin that spread across his face as he glanced down at the sleeping blonde in his arms. For the first time since the labs, he actually felt like they were making progress. He didn't know how long it would take before Cloud's mind finally woke up- days, weeks, _months_ -but they'd come this far together. There was no way he was going to let either of them trip at the finish line.

 **. . .**

It wasn't long before they fell into an easy routine. Zack would head down to the cave with Cloud in the morning, spending the long hours exploring the area and practicing his sword skills against the ghosts that took issue with his presence. Aeris filled her free time talking with the elders and scholars in the canyon, learning all she could about the various studies of Planet Life. Around noon she'd take a picnic basket down to Zack, sometimes staying with him for a couple hours to help relieve his boredom. In the evenings, if Zack hadn't yet emerged by sunset, Aeris would head back down to retrieve him like she had the first night.

Three weeks passed relatively quickly, but it was difficult to tell if any progress was being made. Cloud was definitely sleeping more than he had been and seemed to tire more easily as well, but his condition remained unchanged otherwise.

Zack woke with a start, blinking up at the darkened ceiling of the room for a couple seconds before he realized where he was. The odd dream that woke him was already fading from his mind, leaving a sense of disquiet in its place. Something, or someone, had been calling him... But it was...wrong somehow? Zack shook his head, trying to dismiss the anxiety curling in his gut. Clearly his worry over Cloud was affecting his dreams. He sighed, dismissing the dream as his thoughts turned back to the blonde.

Three weeks wasn't really that long, all things considered. It was nothing compared to the four years Hojo'd had to mess them up in the first place. But shouldn't it have been long enough to show at least some improvement, no matter how small? Zack rolled over, pulling the blankets up over his shoulder. He'd had the same argument with himself countless times, and had both sides memorized. It was one of his favorite ways to pass the time in the cave. Aeris had tired delicately broaching the subject once but Zack had reassured her that he wasn't worried and Cloud would come around in his own time. However, it wasn't so easy to quell his own misgivings alone in the darkness.

Zack shifted onto his other side, willing himself to sleep as he listened to his companions' quiet breathing. He laid there for several minutes before it dawned on him that he could only hear one person breathing where there should be two. He tossed the covers aside and rolled to his feet in one smooth motion. Aeris was still fast asleep, the blanket over her chest rising and falling steadily. Zack turned to the couch, stunned to find its occupant missing.

Cloud was gone. It took Zack's mind an extra second or two to process that. The initial joy that his friend was finally up and about moving around on his own was tempered by the fact he had obviously felt he needed sneak away in the middle of the night. Didn't he realize Zack had been lying not five feet away from him? Or did he think he was still amongst enemies and opted to sneak away because he knew he was too weak to fight? Or was he wandering around in a daze, not truly registering what was around him or where he was going?

Zack shook his head, dressing quickly and slipping out of the room. Whatever the case, Cloud would be too weak to travel far.

The blonde was no where to be found in the inn and the night watchman hadn't seen anyone for hours. Zack headed up to the entrance to the cave, wondering if Cloud might have followed the path they'd traveled every day for the past three weeks. The steel door was just as Devlet had left it the night before and the blonde was no where in sight.

Zack searched the town for over an hour, feeling a little bad as he peered through the curtains into people's homes, but he couldn't find Cloud anywhere. He still didn't have a good grasp of the layout of the town, as he spent most of his time down in the cave, but he started at the bottom and worked his way up through all the off-shoots from the main path. He ran a frustrated hand through his hair when he ended up at the observatory on top of the mountain with still no sign of Cloud.

Zack moved over to the fence, staring down at the plaza below in irritation. As far as he could tell Cloud wasn't in the town anywhere, although Zack hadn't actually entered anyone's home to conduct a proper search. The sentry posted at the gate stated no one had left since his shift started last night and there wasn't another way into the town...for normal people. Someone with the abilities of a SOLDIER on the other hand...

Zack's brows furrowed as the possibilities ran through his head. He wondered again just how aware of the situation Cloud was. He doubted the blonde realized he was now enhanced, but if he thought he was in enemy territory, he'd probably be willing to do whatever it took to get away undetected. Even from up here, Zack could pick out a few possible routes in the moonlight that he could take to get out of town, depending on his level of desperation.

He had to find Cloud. Not only was the blonde in no condition to be tromping through the canyon, but he was unarmed and the monsters in the area tended to be rather aggressive. Zack bit his lip, glancing up at the moon. It was a little past three quarters full and hung almost directly overhead, meaning he probably had a few more hours of darkness. Zack didn't have the skills necessary to follow a trail on the ground, especially through the rocky terrain of the canyon. Plus, he'd be able to cover more ground by air. With one last glance back at the darkened observatory behind him, Zack pushed out his wing and took to the skies.

The moon provided more than enough light for his enhanced sight to pick out enough detail to differentiate between a pot and a wheel of similar size, even from so far away. Zack idly wondered if the last few weeks in the darkness had sharpened his night vision. He made a few passes around the town, deciding which way Cloud was most likely to take and set out, flying slowly as he searched for any sign of the blonde.

Morning came all too quickly, the horizon growing rapidly lighter as dawn approached. Zack weighed his options, debating if he should keep searching or head back. He was a fair distance from the town by now, and would need to head back soon if he didn't want anyone to see his wing. He glanced back toward Cosmo Canyon, a little surprised that the town was already out of sight. It was difficult to tell what Cloud's physical state was at this point, but there was a good possibility that this was farther than it was reasonable to assume he could have traveled on his own.

Zack hovered indecisively for a few seconds before turning and heading back. In rare cases, some newly enhanced SOLDIERs could barely walk the day after the treatments. If Cloud was really badly off, there was a good chance that he had hidden himself somewhere in the town. It was probably a good idea to enlist the locals to search for the blonde before expanding outward.

Zack made it back to the town as the sun cleared the horizon. A few people were out and about in the plaza, but there was no movement at the observatory. Not really wanting to double-back to find a place to land where the watchman wouldn't see him land and then hike back to town, to say nothing of explaining how he'd gotten out to begin with, Zack decided to take a chance.

He kept his altitude, trusting the angle of the rising sun and the fact people rarely looked up to keep him hidden until he was directly above the observatory. Painfully aware that he didn't know what time Bugenhagen generally got up, his paranoia insisted on a reckless course of action. It was the same kind that had always earned him a lecture from Angeal in the past. Zack, of course, didn't think twice about pulling his wing back into his flesh and letting himself freefall to the small yard in front of the observatory.

Most SOLDIERs were adrenalin junkies to one degree or another. The mako allowed them to preform incredible feats of strength and agility, and most of them enjoyed finding new ways to test their limits. Some enjoyed pitting themselves against vicious monsters while others came up with complex and powerful combinations of materia that could be just as deadly to the caster if an error was made. This wasn't the highest Zack had willingly fallen from- not even close -but there was something about freefall that appealed to him. The wind through his hair, the thrill of fear that clenched in his stomach, the knowledge that a mistake in the landing could earn him anything from a broken leg to a broken neck, depending on how badly he screwed it up... Zack loved it.

He let his muscle memory take over; angling his body toward the center of the yard, twisting to slow his momentum slightly, flipping at the last second to get his feet underneath him. He landed in a crouch, his knees absorbing the impact with one hand braced on the ground in front of him. His face was split in a wide grin as his heart beat almost frantically in his chest. The smile quickly slid off his face at the surprised cry on his left.

Bugenhagen was sitting in the doorway to the shed, the floating ball he used to get around lying on the ground next to him. His glasses were skewed and barely hanging on his face, wide eyes staring at the SOLDIER that had literally fallen out of the sky. One hand was tightly clutching a bottle of engine oil to his chest.

"I am _so_ sorry!" Zack exclaimed, hurrying over to help the old man up. "I thought that- I didn't realize you were- I'm sorry!"

Bugenhagen let Zack help him back onto the ball, taking a moment or two to settle his nerves as the young man continued babbling apologies. "It's alright," he cut in when Zack paused to take a breath. "Accidents happen. I'm sure you weren't trying to scare me to an early grave. Although, I do have to wonder what you were doing...?"

Zack blinked, caught completely flat-footed. He had been counting on the fact that Bugenhagen wouldn't be up yet, or at least not out and about. With no cover story ready to go, he blurted the first thing that came to his mind. "Cloud's missing!"

Bugenhagen stared at the swordsman, trying to figure out how that meshed with Zack falling into his yard. He glanced up, eyeing the catwalk around the upper most level of the observatory near the telescope. He blinked at the large number of feathers gliding listlessly through the air. "So, you were trying to see if you could see him anywhere from the observatory?" he guessed, ignoring the feathers for now.

Zack winced, biting his lip, but didn't say anything. It really sounded ridiculous, given the layout of the town, but he didn't have any better explanations to offer.

Bugenhagen took pity on him, chuckling softly at Zack's pained expression. It was obvious that he was so worried about his friend that he wasn't thinking clearly. "I don't imagine he could have gotten far in his condition," he reassured the swordsman, smiling gently. "Why don't you go down and talk to Elder Hargo? He's in the room just up the stairs from the Tiger Lily Arms shop. He'll get everyone organized and looking for Cloud, alright?"

Zack nodded, thanking him for his help and heading to the ladder leading back into the network of caves. He couldn't help the sigh of relief that the old man didn't call him out on his admittedly unusual actions.

Bugenhagen watched Zack disappear down below before turning his attention back to the feathers that had almost reached the ground. They were impressively large and hadn't come from any monster he had seen before. The sheer number indicated that whatever had lost them likely wouldn't be able to fly anymore, either.

He glanced back to where the ex-SOLDIER had disappeared. Perhaps Zack had ran into whatever the feathers came from and killed it? But it was a rather quiet morning and Bugenhagen was sure he'd have heard _something_ if there had been a fight... He shrugged, putting the matter aside for the moment and heading back into the house.

 **. . .**

It didn't take long to get the search underway despite the early hour. With the help of the locals, the entire village had been turned inside-out by lunch time, but unfortunately Cloud was no where to be found. A number of hunters and guides had volunteered to lead search parties outside the town, utilizing their skills in tracking and knowledge of the land.

Zack joined the group heading into the area most densely populated by monsters, deciding he would be most useful on protection detail. Aeris stayed in town, helping Elder Hargo to coordinate the search from there as well as assisting with meal prep for the volunteers. By the end of the third day with no sign of the blonde, Zack was getting a little antsy.

"I don't get it!" Zack complained, flopping back on his bed as Aeris sat on her own bed, running a brush through her hair. "Where could he be?!"

"I suppose that depends on where he's heading," Aeris said quietly. "The fact that we haven't found him yet is a good sign- it means he's recovered to the point that he can not only move around freely, but cover his tracks to throw off any pursuit as well. It's really incredible, if you think about it."

Zack scowled, glaring up at the ceiling. "It'd be a lot more incredible if he didn't ditch us without a word," he muttered petulantly. "I mean, it's not like I spent the last year literally _carrying_ him around or anything! He's practically entitled to just _up and disappear_ whenever he feels like it!" Sarcasm practically dripped from every word.

Aeris smiled sympathetically. "It _is_ a good sign," she repeated, carefully working her brush through the knots in her hair. "If nothing else, it shows that Cloud's aware enough of what's going on around him to take care of himself," she pointed out.

"I know!" Zack snapped, voice sharp with frustration. He shut his eyes, taking a deep breath and visibly relaxing his muscles. "I know," he continued in a calmer tone. "That's not the problem."

Aeris blinked slowly, her brow furrowed slightly in confusion. "What is the problem, then?" she asked, keeping her tone neutral.

Zack sighed, scrubbing his hands over his face. "How much he remembers," he answered, the anger seeming to drain away as he finally admitted what was bothering him.

Aeris set her brush on the bedside table. "What do you mean?" she asked, pulling her long hair over her shoulder and weaving it into a braid.

"I assume he remembers at least _something_ from our time in the labs," Zack stated. "If the last thing you remember is being injured in the line of duty, you're not going to sneak off in the middle of the night." He rolled onto his side so he could face her, propping his head up on one hand. "That being said, I don't think he remembers me being there with him. There's no way he would have just walked out and left me lying here if he did."

"So you think he only remembers bits and pieces of what happened?"

Zack raised one shoulder in a half-shrug. "Seems likely. Or maybe he remembers me rambling to him all the time through his mako haze and figured that I was the one assigned as his guard. Either way, he doesn't think he can trust me anymore and ran off in the middle of the night to get away." He moved his arm, letting his head fall down on the pillow. "From me."

Aeris looked shocked. "No!" she denied, shaking her head. "You're his friend! Surely he wouldn't believe you would do something like that!"

Zack just shook his head. "He watched as his hero razed his hometown to the ground and woke up as a laboratory specimen for the very company he worked for," he pointed out. "What's friendship worth in the face of a betrayal like that?"

Aeris just stared at him, starting to understand why Cloud's continued absence bothered Zack so much. "We'll find him," she said. "We've searched all the surrounding areas, so it's obvious he didn't stay here. And if he's on the run, then he's definitely heading somewhere. The question is, where would he go?"

Zack rolled onto his back, bring his arms up to cushion his head. "I don't know."

"Come on, Zack," Aeris cajoled, tying off her braid and moving to sit on the edge of his bed. "No one knows Cloud better than you."

"Only 'cuz everyone else who knew him is dead."

Aeris gave him a disapproving look.

"I'm serious, Aeris- I don't know. Nibelheim was his hometown, but he watched it burn to the ground. He lived in Midgar for a while, but as that's ShinRa's base of power, I doubt he's going back there. He was stationed in Junon for some months, but ShinRa has a pretty strong presence there as well. I _don't know_ where he's going."

"Okay," she said gently, inclining her head. "Don't try to figure out where he's ultimately heading. We know he's going _somewhere_ and he didn't leave with anything more than what was in his pockets, which means he's going to need supplies. What are his options?"

"Nibelheim or Gongaga- those are the two closest towns, although both are several days' travel by foot," Zack answered, rubbing his eyes tiredly. "He wouldn't have a map, so he'd have to stick to the roads for the most part. Depending on how fast he's traveling, it's possible that he could already be in Nibelheim. It's a pretty winding road to Gongaga, which makes it a bit further distance-wise."

"Good," Aeris said encouragingly. "Now, where do you think he's more likely to go?"

Zack closed his eyes, biting back the retort of 'it depends on his final destination.' He took a deep breath, knowing Aeris was just doing her best to help, and tried to put himself in Cloud's shoes.

He pictured Gongaga: the buildings on fire, imagining his horror and grief as he found his parents lying dead in his childhood home.

He remembered the crushing pain and anger as Angeal, the man he looked up to and respected more than all others, forced Zack to take his life. He tried to imagine how much more it would have hurt if Angeal had destroyed his loved ones in a sudden bout of madness beforehand, a sadistic smirk on his lips as he watched them burn.

He remembered the labs: the confusion and helplessness, the terror and pain, the anger and hatred. He tried to imagine what it would have been like without a friend in the next cell to help him survive the cruelty.

He imagined waking up after who-knows-how-long, for once not strapped to a metal table or floating in a vat of mako and making a break for freedom; sneaking out because he simply didn't know if he could trust those around him.

Did he have a destination in mind initially? Probably not, as he didn't know where he was. It wouldn't take him long to determine he was in Cosmo Canyon. His initial thought was to run, to get away from those who would hold him captive, but he now realized he didn't have any supplies. So the question was, did he go east to Gongaga or west to Nibelheim?

Aeris waited quietly, giving the swordsman as much time as he needed to ponder the problem. After a few moments Zack opened his eyes, meeting her emerald gaze. "We'll head to Gongaga in the morning."

 **. . .**

 **To Be Continued**

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	16. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

Zack and Aeris got an early start in the morning. As Elder Hargo wasn't up yet, they left a message with the innkeeper's wife, thanking everyone for all their help with the search and explaining their intention to continue looking for Cloud abroad. She wished them a safe journey, pressing a few rolls and pastries into their hands for the road. By the time the sun had cleared the canyon walls, Zack was already in the air with Aeris riding quietly in the basket held in his hand.

The long hours with nothing but the wind whistling in his ears gave Zack ample time to consider the ramifications of returning to his home town. Did the Turks still have someone waiting for him there? He knew he'd been spotted in Kalm and his flight to Junon had allowed him to escape whatever traps may have been laid for him on the road. Did the Turks assume he'd return to his hometown? Did Cissnei tell them he'd tried to stop there when he left Nibelheim initially? He doubted it, as she'd have gotten in trouble for letting him escape. Or was that how the ShinRa troops knew to look for him in Banora? There was simply too much that he didn't know to make an educated guess.

However, if there was someone from ShinRa waiting in Gongaga, Cloud would be walking right into a trap. Zack narrowed his eyes, checking his course against the sun. He'd just have to make sure he reached Gongaga before Cloud did. While the blonde would no doubt give whoever attacked him a run for their money, he was essentially weaponless and didn't know how to utilize his enhancements to their fullest. Zack, on the other hand, not only had a sword but had gone toe to toe with _Sephiroth_ once, although it wasn't an experience he'd like to relive. If ShinRa was lying in wait in his hometown, Zack would be sure they didn't live to regret their mistake.

He pushed himself hard all day, abusing his stash of potions to keep going until Aeris asked for a bathroom break or insisted on stopping to eat before continuing on. Although he was exhausted by the end of the day, his persistence paid off when they reached the forest surrounding the town almost an hour after sundown. Too tired to put up his own tent, and not having the energy to argue with Aeris when she insisted she could set up her tent by herself, Zack rolled out his sleeping bag on a relatively flat spot just inside the tree line. Shucking off his shoes and pulling his wing back in, he crawled inside his sleeping bag without bothering to change and was asleep before his head hit the pillow.

Morning came far too early for Zack and was heralded by a decided slimy smack to the side of his head. He groaned, wondering why Aeris was waking him up so early. He could still feel a bit of the slimy residue on his cheek and idly wondered how long she'd been trying to rouse him to that she'd had to resort to something like this. "What is it?" he asked groggily, not quite ready to relinquish his hold on sleep. The decidedly inhuman croak that issued from his throat was enough of a shock to banish all thoughts of sleep from his mind as his eyes snapped open.

The world did not look the same as it had when Zack had gone to bed the previous night. He was fairly certain that it had, in fact, never looked like this before. Lying on his back, he could see his pillow on both side of his head and everything in between. It took his mind a few seconds to process such a wide-spread image, picking out the pertinent details. Aeris' tent was off to his left- it didn't look like she was up yet. The remains of a campfire was a little in front of the tent, no longer smoking but possibly with one or two remaining coals to build a new fire. The sky visible through the canopy was a medium blue, heading toward dawn but not quite there yet. And a few feet off to his right stood a giant frog, balanced on its hind legs and looking like it was about to charge again.

Zack rolled out of his sleeping bag and into a battle ready stance...only to fall flat on his face. He blinked a couple times, staring at the skinny green appendage that his mind insisted was his arm. Long, webbed fingers waggled back and forth at his command, bending in ways he wasn't used to. His inspection was cut short as the frog now behind him leapt forward. Zack clumsily jumped away, trying to figure out if 360 degree vision- or close to it, at any rate -was incredibly useful or just downright disorienting.

He landed in a crouch, both hands braced on the ground in front of him with his knees bent away from his body on either side. He automatically tried to glance down at the rock one hand was resting on, mentally groaning when he realized he was incapable of moving his eyes or his head. His wide range of vision negated the necessity of either, but old habits were hard to break. Ignoring that for the moment, he closed his hand around the rock and pushed himself back to his feet to properly throw it at the frog. It missed his target by a foot or two, burying itself in the trunk of a tree. Zack groaned, cursing his new-found lack of depth perception. At least he still had his enhancements.

The frog croaked a challenge while Zack studied his surroundings for something he could use as a weapon. A small branch from the pile of firewood Aeris had gathered the night before caught his attention. It looked thin enough to easily wrap his hands around and came to a jagged point on one end. He jumped to the pile, swiftly pulling it from the others as the frog leapt high above him. Zack spun around, raising the stick and bracing himself as the frog landed on the pointy end, skewering itself. It let out a pain-filled cry, writhing briefly before falling still.

Zack heaved a sigh of relief, letting the stick and frog fall to the ground. He hopped over to the tent, wanting to make sure Aeris was alright.

Aeris had woken up to the sound of something fighting outside. Not sure what was going on, she quickly dressed and was just reaching for her staff to check it out when the tent flap opened. Not expecting to see a frog almost as tall as her knees peering inside, she did what any sane person would do. She screamed and kicked it in the face.

Zack went flying back out of the tent, rolling head over heels more to put some distance between him and his understandably startled girlfriend than from the force of the blow. In hindsight, perhaps he should have thought that through first.

Aeris quickly followed him outside, brandishing her staff in slightly shaking hands. "You just stay over there," she said, her voice wavering as she watched the frog climb slowly back to its feet. "Don't even think of trying anything. Zack'll be back any minute and then he'll take care of you."

Zack couldn't help but smile. Although he had no doubt Aeris would have no reservations about smashing him into a pulp if he put one toe out of line, she was about as threatening as a kitten. He raised his hands in surrender, noting Aeris' brow furrow in confusion at the human gesture, before slowly moving toward his sleeping bag. Aeris tightened her grip on her staff, but made no move to stop him. Once Zack was close enough, he pointed first at his boots and sword- still lying where he'd left them the night before -and then at himself, trying to explain that he was now a frog.

Aeris' eyes widened upon spotting Zack's boots and sword. She could think of no reason he'd go anywhere without his weapon, much less his _shoes_. Yet, the swordsman was nowhere to be seen and hadn't come running when she'd screamed a moment ago. That there was no blood on his sleeping bag was probably a good sign, but where was he? "Zack?!" she called, worriedly glancing around their campsite as if he'd pop out from behind one of the trees at any moment. "Zack, where are you?!"

Zack was jumping up and down, trying to get Aeris' attention again while pointing at himself. He felt a bit bad about making her worry, but it wasn't like he had a pen and paper to write out what had happened to him.

It wasn't long before Aeris focused back on him and Zack froze. He watched her entire demeanor shift abruptly from startled flower girl to death personified. He immediately took back his thought about her being as threatening as a kitten- she was downright _terrifying_.

" **You.** "

Zack flinched back at her tone, wondering how he could have missed the avenging angel side of his girlfriend. He croaked in surprise as a chunk of ice twice as big as he was formed over his head, barely getting out of the way as it crashed to the ground. He was unable to avoid her second spell, the green aura that enveloped him arresting all movement. The magic stopped him in his tracks, rendering him completely helpless as Aeris stalked toward him.

She stopped when she was about a foot away, kneeling down to stare him in the eyes. "Aside from storming my tent, you've not actually tried to attack me, which shows you're a bit more intelligent than most monsters," she said after long a moment. "So I'm going to make you a deal. I'm betting you know what happened here. If you take me to my friend-" she pointed at Zack's boots, "-I'll let you go. If not..." She raised her wrist, one of the materia in her bangle glowing ominously. "...I'll be having roasted frog legs for breakfast." She rose back to her feet, putting a bit more distance between them in case he tried for a surprise attack when she released the spell. "Now get hopping."

Zack stumbled slightly as she released him, gazing at his girlfriend with some trepidation. He tried pointing again at the boots and then to himself, hoping she didn't think he was stalling for time and make good on her threat. He was rather attached to his legs.

"Yes," Aeris said impatiently. "You lead me to my friend and I'll let you go."

That didn't work as well as he had hoped. Zack rubbed the back of his head. How could he make her understand? Maybe props would help get the message across. He carefully walked over to the boots, intending to put them on a strike a pose so thoroughly _him_ she'd [hopefully] get the message. Her cold voice stopped him before he could even put one toe inside.

"Don't you _dare_ stick your slimy feet in his boots!"

Zack dropped the shoe like it burned, cringing back from her wrath. Well, there went that plan. Maybe if he got a stick and twirled it above his head like he always did before sheathing his sword... He tried to see if there were any sticks that would work near him, as he didn't want to risk heading past Aeris to the woodpile. A number of black feathers scattered across the ground caught his attention and his eyes lit up with an idea.

Aeris gaze narrowed when the frog picked up one of the glossy black feathers Zack had shed the night before, pointing first at the feather and then at itself. "Yes, that's also from my friend," she stated, wondering if she'd overestimated the thing's intelligence. The frog looked a bit exasperated before closing its eyes in concentration. Aeris shifted her grip on her staff, priming another Stop spell. Her jaw dropped in surprise as a wing sprouted from the frog's back- a miniature, but still very familiar, _black-feathered_ wing.

Aeris just gaped as the frog pointed once more to the feather in its hand and then to itself. The meaning finally clicked, but she was still having difficulty wrapping her head around it. "...Zack?" she asked, her voice barely audible.

Zack jumped in place exuberantly, doing a celebratory backflip.

Aeris just stared. "You... How did... Why are..." She shook her head, trying to form a coherent thought. "What happened?" she managed at last.

Zack shrugged. He pointed to the feather and mimed going to sleep. He acted like he was waking up, yawning and stretching, only to appear startled when he looked down at his hands.

"You just woke up this way...?"

Zack gave her his best approximation of a thumbs-up with his abnormally long fingers. Holding the long feather like a sword, he mimicked fighting before carefully hopping around her and over to the woodpile, indicating the dead frog lying there.

"You fought with another frog," Aeris translated, still looking a little shell shocked. "I almost killed you," she breathed, eyes widening with the horrible realization. She fell to her knees, staff clattering on the ground beside her as she covered her face. "I almost _killed_ you!"

Zack quickly hopped over to her, every fiber of his being wanting to reach out and comfort her. The sight of his transformed arms stopped him just shy of touching her. As much as he wanted to hold her, he doubted his slimy embrace would help just now.

It only took Aeris a minute or two to regain her composure, a strained smile on her face when she finally brought herself to look back at Zack. "I don't suppose this is something you know how to fix?" she asked.

Zack tried to shake his head, remembered he apparently had no neck and brought his arms up in sort of shrug instead. He _really_ hoped this wasn't permanent.

Aeris' expression fell at his admission before she pursed her lips in determination. "Right. Well, we certainly aren't going to find a cure for you sitting around here. We'll break camp and continue heading for Gongaga," she said decisively.

Zack watched as Aeris became a whirlwind of activity, quickly rolling up his bed roll and breaking down her tent before shrinking and stowing them in the basket. She shooed him away whenever he tried to help, insisting she could do it herself. He thought she was half afraid he'd end up getting smashed underneath one of their bags. While he understood her newfound protectiveness- after all, he went from being an ex-SOLDIER First Class to a small and squishy frog -he drew the line at riding in the basket. He was unable to perform magic in his current form and, though riding in the basket would be safer for him, if Aeris ended up being turned into a frog as well he'd be stuck as miniaturized frog.

It took a long game of charades to hash out that argument and while he didn't manage to convey his reasoning behind the decision, Aeris eventually capitulated and let him walk beside her. Zack didn't even mind the stipulation that he leave all the fighting- no exceptions -to her.

They didn't run into any more frogs on the way to town and what few monsters they did encounter were easily dealt with by Aeris' magic. It took them less than an hour to reach the cemetery to the left of where gate into town used to be. Zack didn't have much time to dwell on it when he passed through several months back, but the cemetery had almost doubled in size since he'd left in his youth. His eyes strayed to the ruined reactor visible in the distance, wondering if that was cause. The thick vines wrapping around large chunks of masonry and twisted metal framework to the sides of the main road suggested the explosion was massive indeed.

The town itself had a rather cozy, almost claustrophobic feel to it due to the jungle pressing in on all sides. The houses themselves were modest but showed obvious signs of having been repaired without the proper equipment. Metal siding covered a hole in a shingled roof; large gray bricks patched a hole in a red brick wall with extra mortar filling the gap at the top to make up for the difference in size; broken doors were patched and held together with whatever materials seemed to have been lying around at the time. Two shells of houses were being overtaken by the jungle near the end of road, clearly having been cannibalized to fix the rest of the town. Although he'd never been overly fond of the middle-of-nowhere town he'd grown up in, it still hurt to see it partially destroyed. That being said, it was in far better condition than Cloud's hometown.

There wasn't anyone out and about yet, although the smoke rising from various chimneys indicated most of the town was at least awake. Now that he was back, Zack was acutely aware of just how long it had been since he'd seen his parents. He'd sent them letters frequently and started calling once he'd made SOLDIER (and earned enough to afford the long distance charges), but he hadn't actually made it back to visit. Once he'd risen high enough in the ranks, the mass SOLDIER desertion left the company with too many missions and not enough operatives to fill them. Angeal going AWOL later had only increased his workload on top of that.

With excitement to see his parents again putting an extra bounce in his step (or maybe that was from his current form, it was difficult to say for sure), Zack eagerly led the way to his childhood home. He rounded the corner in the road, steps faltering as his eyes landed on his mother for the first time in ten years. She was wearing a dark purple skirt with a brown shirt, the worn material showing signs of having been repaired several times. Her dark hair was liberally streaked with gray and pulled into a bun to keep it off her neck in the humid weather. She had her back to them, picking ripe clumps of grapes off a vine climbing up a square truss that stood in the middle of her garden.

Zack couldn't help but smile. The metal beam was obviously too big- and likely buried too deeply -to move without some serious effort. It was so typical of his mother to find a way to incorporate the debris into her garden and make it work for her.

Aeris stopped beside Zack, grateful to see someone out and about. She cleared her throat softly, not wanting to startle the older woman. "Excuse me, ma'am."

The woman turned, adjusting her hold on her apron so the grapes she'd gathered didn't fall out. "Good morning," she greeted pleasantly. "I haven't seen you around before."

"We actually just got into town this morning," Aeris said, gesturing to Zack. "I was wondering if you could help us...?"

The woman chuckled softly at the sight of the frog. "Don't worry, that's an easy fix. We don't get many visitors around here, so I'm afraid Bert doesn't open his shop until closer to noon. But, I should have one or two Maiden's Kisses lying around somewhere," she said, carefully picking her way out of the garden.

"Maiden's Kisses?" Aeris echoed, wondering if she'd heard that right as she followed the woman into the house.

"That's right. Someone thought they were being clever with the name- or they wanted to justify shaping a bottle like a woman." She shook her head lightly, carefully putting the grapes in the sink before moving over and rummaging around in a cupboard. "I think whoever did it had a bit of a sadistic streak, myself. You see, you have so twist the woman's head off to open it."

"Oh." Aeris had no idea what she was supposed to say to something like that.

"Here we are!" She pulled out a bottle shaped like a woman wearing a long dress with her hands clasped in front of her as if in prayer. She twisted the head off, breaking the seal before handing it to Aeris. "Just pour that over your friend's head and it'll get 'em back to normal in no time- oh mercy, where are my manners? My name is Raquel."

Aeris accepted the bottle, wasting no time dumping it on Zack's head. "I'm Aeris," she introduced herself, smiling as the frog changed back into her boyfriend before her very eyes. "And this is-"

"Zack?" Raquel breathed, eyes wide. "Zack, is that really you?"

Aeris blinked in surprise while Zack sheepishly scratched the back of his head, heedless of the liquid dripping from his hair. "Hi mom."

Aeris' eyes widened, mouthing the word 'mom' while Raquel closed the distance between her and her son, wrapping him in her arms. "Oh Zack, where have you _been_? We've been so worried- Bart! Bart, get down here! Zack's back!"

Zack returned his mother's embrace, smiling at the _thud_ and curse from upstairs before his father quickly climbed down the ladder from the loft. His once dark hair had turned to a much lighter gray and was almost long enough to brush his shoulders. He was wearing a light green shift with a brown vest that was hanging open and darker brown pants. He'd been in the middle of trimming his beard, if the towel around his neck and scissors dangling from his fingers were any indication. He paused briefly on reaching the floor before quickly crossing the room and joining in the family hug.

"Welcome home," Bart said, tightening his arms around his son.

Zack swallowed, suddenly finding it difficult to speak past the lump in this throat. "It's good to be back."

 **. . .**

 **To Be Continued**

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	17. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

Raquel quickly finished breakfast preparations, washing and chopping the grapes while directing Zack to add two more place settings on the table. Shawn scrounged up a couple five gallon buckets for he and Zack sit on, insisting Aeris use his chair. Raquel started dishing up the crepes, rolling the pancakes around a scoop of vanilla pudding with sliced grapes sprinkled on top.

"So how have you been, Zack?" Raquel asked, pouring the ingredients for more batter into a bowl. "It's been a while since we last heard from you- is this the young lady you mentioned in your letters?"

"Yep," Zack said, giving Aeris a grin. "This is her."

"Finally got around to introducing her to the in-laws, did you?" the older woman continued, mixing the batter as she glanced back at her son over her shoulder. "Does this mean we have a grandchild on the way?"

Zack blinked, taken off guard for a second before he laughed. From the years in the lab and on the run to trying to cure and then searching for Cloud, he hadn't had much time to think about marriage and kids. "Sorry mom, but I'm still a bachelor," he said, cutting off part of the crepe and scooping it onto his fork. "You're gonna have to wait a while longer for grandkids."

"What?" Raquel turned around to give Zack her full attention. "I know I warned you against rushing into anything when you headed to the big city, but don't you think dating for five years is a bit excessive?"

"Raquel..." Bart interrupted, giving her a warning look.

"I'm just saying," Raquel defended, turning back to the stove and scooping some of the batter onto the hot skillet. "Any woman willing to put up with a man for over five years is worth hanging onto. It's high time he considered settling down and starting a family."

Bart closed his eyes briefly, heaving a silent sigh. "So," he said, turning the conversation to safer waters. "Where are you from Aeris?"

"I'm from Midgar."

"Ah, the fabled 'floating city,'" he said, nodding. "I imagine our town is quite a bit different from what you're used to."

"Kind of," Aeris agreed. "I lived under the Plate, so it's a nice change being able to see the sun all day. Plus, it's a lot less crowded here."

Bart blinked, taken back by her comment. "So, uh, how'd you meet Zack?" he asked, trying to regain his footing. "Do you work for ShinRa?"

Zack snorted at the thought while Aeris shook her head. "He actually fell through the roof of my church," she said, smiling at the memory.

"What?" Raquel asked, looking up from the pancake she was cooking as Bart raised his eyebrows. "This sounds like an interesting story," he said.

"There's not really much to tell," Zack offered. "I was on a mission when I got knocked off the Plate and landed in her church. The roof and the flower bed broke my fall, so I didn't get hurt."

"It's an abandoned church," Aeris elaborated at Bart's confused look. "I used to take care of the flowers that grew there."

"She's really good with plants," Zack pitched in, grinning at an inside joke. "I told her she should open her own flower shop."

"You want to build me another flower-cart-slash-weapon-of-mass-destruction?" Aeris asked, returning his grin.

"I still say it looked awesome- and you could totally tell it was supposed to be a flower cart! I don't know what that trooper's problem was," Zack said defensively, although his lips quirked slightly at the memory.

"A researcher from Weapon's Development offered me a lot of money for it, too," she reminded him.

Zack shoved another bite into his mouth, pointedly ignoring the reminder although the smile still played about his lips.

Bart couldn't help but smile at the light teasing. "So what are you doing these days Zack?" he asked, scooping up the leftover pudding on his plate with his fork. "Still a SOLDIER First Class or have you retired from the military?"

"I...guess you could say I retired," Zack hedged, dropping his gaze back to his plate. "I'm not affiliated with ShinRa anymore."

"Military life didn't agree with you?" Bart asked as Raquel set the plate of fresh pancakes on the table.

Zack's mind flashed back to his only mission in Banora. He remembered the heat of the flames on his skin as he turned toward the helicopter to take him back to Midgar, the town burning behind him as the company literally blew it off the map to cover-up Genesis' actions. "Not really, no."

"I never thought you were really cut out of for the army," Raquel admitted, finally sitting down to her own breakfast.

"It is a rather difficult life," Zack agreed, though for very different reasons.

"Oh, I knew you wouldn't have any problems with the physical side of it- you always did have more energy than you knew what to do with. Getting you to stay focused was the problem," she continued with a fond smile.

Zack laughed, dishing himself some more crepes. "Yeah, I heard that from my instructors a lot."

"I'm sure," Bart agreed, chuckling. "So no more SOLDIER, huh? What are you doing now?"

"I'm kind of a mercenary, I guess?" Zack answered, not quite sure if the term fit. "I take whatever odd jobs I can find. I worked as the security detail for a traveling merchant for a while and then as kind of an all-around handy man at an inn." He shrugged. "I do a bit of monster hunting in-between jobs. Claws, fangs and the like can fetch a nice price at apothecaries and places like that. Plus, it helps keep my skills from getting rusty."

"It doesn't sound like it's very stable work," Raquel commented, her tone only slightly disapproving. "But you sound like you're enjoying it."

"Yeah, I guess you could say that," Zack agreed. "It beats an eight to five job stuck behind a desk any day."

Bart laughed, trying to imagine his hyper active son in a shirt and tie, sitting at a desk doing paperwork all day long. "So how long are you two in town for?" he asked, setting his fork on his empty plate. He leaned forward, elbows on the table with his chin resting on his interlaced fingers.

"I'm not sure," Zack admitted. "I'm actually looking for a friend of mine. I think he was heading here and I'm hoping we got here before him, but..." He let the words trail off, shaking his head. "I really need to talk to him. There was really big a misunderstanding between us and...I just can't leave things the way they are."

"This friend must be pretty important to you," Raquel said gently.

"Yeah. Cloud's been through a lot and he didn't deserve any of it." Zack sighed, staring down at his half-eaten breakfast. "I _know_ I can help him if I can just _find_ him- and get him to sit still long enough to hear me out."

"This Cloud must not know you that well if he thinks he can get away. Once you've set your mind to something, you don't give up," Raquel said, giving Zack a warm smile. "I have no doubt that you'll find him."

"And I'm sure he'll listen to you once he sees how earnest you are and the lengths you're going through to make things right," Bart added. "True friends are hard to come by."

Zack was silent for a moment. "You're right," he said at last. "We're friends- he'll listen to what I've got to say." He nodded to himself, returning to his plate with renewed gusto. "Besides," he continued in between bites. "If he doesn't want to listen, I'll just have to use a Sleep spell so he can't get away and tie him up so he has no choice but to hear me out!"

Aeris gave an uncertain smile as the Fair's laughed. His parents may have taken it as a joke, but she was fairly sure Zack was serious.

 **. . .**

After breakfast, Zack and Bart headed to the stores around town to verify that Cloud hadn't passed through yet and to ask the shopkeepers to keep an eye out for the blonde. Afterwards, they headed out to do a little father-son bonding over monster hunting while Aeris helped Raquel around the house. Zack enjoyed showing off his SOLDIER skills as they dispatched various kimara bugs, griffins and other monsters native to the area. The monsters were plentiful and they returned in high spirits that evening with a wide variety of parts to sell the following day. However, tramping through the mud and gore all day had taken its toll and Raquel refused to let them in the house until they had both washed off with the hose first. All in all, it was a good day and left Zack feeling more relaxed than he had in a while.

Early the following morning, Zack woke to the creaking springs in the couch as Aeris got up. He opened his eyes, watching curiously as she moved over to the basket with all their belongings and un-shrunk a couple of the bags. She spent a few minutes moving things around before replacing all but one of the bags in the basket. The last bag she shouldered, quietly making her way to the door.

"Where are you going Aeris?" Zack asked, trying hard to keep his voice neutral. The thought that she would sneak off in the middle of the night without a word hurt much more than he liked to admit. On the other hand, part of him was surprised she had stayed with him this long given how much time and energy he'd been devoting to Cloud since he'd got back.

Aeris jumped guiltily, obviously having been trying hard to keep from waking the swordsman. "Zack," she breathed. "You're awake."

"You don't have to sneak out to get away from me," he said, forcing the words past the lump in his throat. "You can leave any time you want."

"It's not like that," Aeris said quietly, shifting her weight from foot to foot uneasily.

"Really?" Zack asked, some of the pain and betrayal slipping into his tone. "Then why don't you explain it to me, because I'm having a hard time coming up with another explanation."

"I...I have to go." Aeris bit her lip, staring at the floor. "I promise it has nothing to do with you or Cloud, but... I have to go."

"Why?" Zack asked, pushing himself to a sitting position. "Something didn't happen to Elmyra, did it?" he asked, eyes widening.

Aeris shook her head vehemently. "No, mom and uncle Shawn are fine," she assured him.

"Then why?" Zack asked again plaintively. "If it's not because of me and Cloud, and not because of Elmyra or Shawn... Why would just disappear without a word?"

"I was going to leave you a note..." Aeris defended half-heartedly, glancing at the table.

Zack pushed himself to his feet, moving over to his girlfriend and talking both her hands in his. "Aeris, what's going on?" he asked softly. "Talk to me."

Aeris sighed, staring at their hands so she wouldn't have to meet his eyes. "The Planet is calling for me," she said after a long pause. "I don't know what's happening, but it needs me to do something- something that only I can do. So I have to go."

"So why not just tell me what's going on? Why sneak out?"

Aeris dropped her head a little further, biting her lip again. "I know how important Cloud is to you and how worried you've been about him. I didn't want you to have to choose between us," she said, her voice falling to a whisper.

Wordlessly, Zack pulled Aeris into his arms, resting his chin on her head. It was indeed a difficult choice, but there was only one outcome that Zack knew he could live with. While he was worried about Cloud, the blonde had had combat training and was currently carrying pockets full of all sorts of bangles and materia in addition to his mako enhancements. Given how easily he slipped away from Cosmo Canyon, Zack had to admit that Cloud was clearly capable of taking care of himself. Aeris, on the other hand, relied heavily on her materia and would need a fighter to protect her wherever she was going.

"I know you were doing it for me, but please, _please_ don't just disappear on me- too many people that I care about have done that and... I can't take it from you too."

Aeris tightened her arms around him, already knowing how badly her disappearing while he was asleep would have affected Zack. "I'm sorry," she whispered into his shirt.

Zack held her for a few more seconds before turning back and packing up his stuff. After all, the only reason Aeris didn't want to force him to choose was because she already knew which one he'd pick.

Zack woke his parents to say goodbye, explaining Aeris had a family emergency and they had to leave. He left his phone number with them, as well as a hastily penned letter for Cloud, begging the blonde to call him. All in all, it didn't take long before they were on their way and as soon as the town was out of sight, Zack took to the skies.

Although the Planet was urging Aeris to travel quickly, it didn't provide her with a destination, just a general direction: north by northeast. Zack checked with her to make sure he was still heading the right way when he took breaks, periodically marking their approximate location on the map.

It took them four days to reach Coasta Del Sol, their course taking them within walking distance of the city. It was early evening when they arrived and Zack booked them a room at the inn for the night, giving them both an opportunity to shower as well as charge their phones. Zack was sitting at the table, various brochures scattered across the map, when Aeris stepped out of the shower, towel-drying her hair.

"Shower's free," she announced, moving over to one of the beds and rifling through her bag for a brush.

"Thanks," Zack said distractedly, his brow furrowing as he opened up another one of the brochures he'd grabbed from the front desk. "I'll get in in a minute."

"Something wrong?" Aeris asked, glancing over the papers scattered across the table.

"Well, we've been heading in a straight line, more or less," Zack said, pointing to the places he'd marked on the map over the last several days. "And if we keep heading this way, we're gonna run out of land soon. Unless the peninsula is where we're going?"

Aeris moved over to look at the map, studying the peninsula that extended some ways past Coasta Del Sol. "I don't think so…" she said slowly. "Although we're definitely much closer."

Zack nodded. "Yeah, I figured that would be too easy," he said, looking back at the map. "There are a couple fishing villages on the Northern Continent near where we're likely heading, so I'm trying to find a boat that can take us there." He sighed, dropping his current brochure back on the table. "I don't think I'll find anything in these, though- they're all geared toward tourist attractions."

Aeris bit her lip nervously. "Do you think we can find a boat heading that way if we ask around at the harbor tomorrow?" she asked.

"That's the plan," Zack said, pushing his chair back from the table and standing. He stretched his arms out above his head, wincing slightly as the muscles along the left side of his upper back protested. Although Zack hadn't been pushing himself as hard as he could, the last week was taking its toll on his body. He rolled his shoulder, trying to help loosen up the muscles as he moved to his bag to collect a clean set of clothes. "You didn't use all the hot water, did you?" he asked teasingly.

"No." Aeris' voice was distracted, her gaze lingering on the map.

"Hey, don't worry- it may not be a luxury liner, but I guarantee that _some_ sort of boat travels regularly between here and the Northern Continent. We may have to wait a day or two, but we've made good time so far," he assured her, resting a hand on his shoulder.

Aeris looked up, pasting a large smile across her face as she met his eyes. "You're right- it'll be fine," she agreed in a falsely cheerful tone, quickly turning back to the bed and busying herself with repacking the clothes she'd pulled out while looking for her bag.

Zack hesitated for a moment, debating whether or not to say something else. He decided to let the matter drop, gathering his things and heading for the bathroom. There wasn't anything either of them could do about finding a ship at the moment and beating a dead chocobo wasn't going to make her feel any better about the delay.

 **. . .**

The sun was peeking in around the edges of the drawn curtains when Zack woke up the following day. His aching back told him he'd been in bed for too long as he sat up and swung his legs over the side of the mattress. Aeris was gone, presumably having left to let him sleep.

It didn't take him long to get dressed and head out, intending to make good on his promise to check around the harbor for ships heading north. His plan was postponed when he saw Aeris sitting at a table at the outside café next to the inn, sipping at a brightly colored drink.

"Well, look who finally woke up," she greeted as he made his way over to her table.

"It's not that late, is it?" he asked, pulling out the chair across from her and taking a seat.

"It's almost ten," Aeris answered, shrugging. "Even though you went to bed early, I figured you could use the rest after flying from Cosmo Canyon to Gongaga and then to here."

"No wonder I was sore when I woke up," Zack said, rubbing his neck. "I can't remember the last time I slept for that long."

"I stopped by the harbor and asked around about a ship," Aeris went on. "There's a cargo ship that makes the trip once a week but they're willing to take passengers as well, so I bought us tickets on the next one."

"Good," Zack said, nodding. "When does it leave?"

"Five days," Aeris answered, her voice eerily calm. "At six in the morning."

"Hey, it'll be alright," Zack assured her, reaching across the table and resting his hand on top of hers. "We've made really good time getting this far."

"You're right," Aeris replied placidly. "We've made exceptionally good time, thanks to you. If it were just me, I'd probably only now be reaching the Gongaga crossing. Thank you for that, Zack," she said, turning her hand over and squeezing his.

Zack frowned uncertainly. "Are you alright, Aeris?" he asked, studying her face worriedly. "Because I'll be honest, this whole 'at peace with the universe' vibe you got going on here is kind of creeping me out."

Aeris chuckled, shaking her head. "I've been doing some thinking," she said, gazing out at the blue waves gently lapping at the shore. "And I decided that these four days are going to be the best vacation of my life."

Zack blinked, taken off-guard by the complete turn around. "Okay. That's... Yeah. I think that's a great idea."

Aeris smiled, turning back to meet his eyes. "We're going to be in one of the most popular resort towns for the next four days. We can't continue until the boat's ready to go, so we might as well make the most of it, right?"

"Absolutely!" Zack agreed, relieved that she was taking the delay so well. "So what do you want to do?"

"I think I just want to go to the beach today," she said, sipping at her drink. "We didn't have time to stop by when we were in Junon, so this'll be my first time."

"Alright, today's beach-day then," Zack said, nodding. "And tonight we can look over all those brochures and decide what you want to do tomorrow."

"Don't you mean what 'we' want to do tomorrow?"

"Nope." Zack shook his head firmly. "I had an extended stay here before, so this is all about you. Anything you want to do, anywhere you want to go, I'll make it happen! This is gonna be your best vacation ever, right? Can't do that with someone else calling the shots!"

His enthusiasm made Aeris laugh, which was the intended goal and Zack still counted it as a win even though she was still more subdued than usual. "The best vacation ever," she repeated softly.

 **. . .**

 **To Be Continued**

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	18. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

The next few days were as filled with as many activities as they could fit in. After teaching Aeris how to swim, they did everything from snorkeling and swimming with the sharks to jet-skiing and exploring tide pools along the length of the beach. They even managed to squeeze in a whale-watching tour due to some last minute cancelations and though the whales were scarce, several pods of dolphins were more than happy to show off for the tourists. Zack tried hard to make everything perfect and though Aeris seemed enjoy herself, there was still a bit of a melancholy air about her.

The days passed quickly and soon it was the last night of their 'vacation.' Dinner was grilled shrimp and scallop kabobs purchased from a street vendor which they ate on the beach, watching the sunset into the water as the waves lapped at their feet.

"We should probably move soon or it'll be more than our feet getting wet," Zack pointed out, sliding a mushroom off the skewer and popping it into his mouth.

"In a minute," Aeris replied, digging her toes into the sand as the edge of the water brushed over them before receding once more. "It just feels so weird."

"Yeah, sand at the beach isn't really like anywhere else," Zack agreed. "Makes a big difference if you're not used to fighting on it, let me tell you."

"Fighting on the beach?" Aeris asked a little surprised. "When did you ever have to fight on the beach?"

"Just about every time the company sent me here for vacation," Zack replied nonchalant. "This place has been attacked by sea worms- which are no where _near_ as small as they sound -water sahagin and even a _sea behemoth_ while I here." He popped the last shrimp from his skewer into his mouth, chewing thoughtfully. "You know," he said after a moment, "now that I think about it, I'm pretty sure they sent me here _because_ they knew those things were gonna show up. They acted like it was a vacation, but the timing was just too perfect. Still, it'd have been nice to have some warning- I never had my sword on me and had to fight with one of those giant umbrellas every single time!"

"Really?" Aeris asked, looking at him skeptically.

"It's true!" Zack insisted. "Tseng can vouch for- actually, it's a really bad idea to contact the Turks for any reason," he back-pedaled quickly. "But I can grab that umbrella over there and give you a demonstration if you like."

Aeris stared at him for a long moment before shaking her head in disbelief. "You seem to get yourself into some of the strangest situations."

Zack grinned. "You don't know the half of it."

"How many times were you sent out here?" she asked, curiously.

"Uh, three or four times?"

"And you forgot your sword _every single_ time?"

Zack laughed in embarrassment, rubbing the back of his head. "Well, I brought it _with_ me, I just ended up leaving it in the hotel room... But I made sure I was prepared _this_ time!" he hastened to add, pulling out a small piece of metal wrapped in cloth and dangling from a keychain.

"Is that your sword?" Aeris asked, squinting at the small hilt sticking out of the material.

"Yup!" Zack answered proudly. "I have to clean it really well every night, but this beats fighting with an umbrella any day!"

Aeris laughed, shaking her head. "Only you, Zack," she said, leaning toward him and resting her head on his shoulder.

Zack shifted slightly to accommodate her, slipping his arm around her back. They sat in silence for a few moments, simply watching as the sun sunk past the horizon. The ocean reflected the brilliant red and orange that was painted across the sky as the last few rays of sunlight disappeared.

"I love you," Zack said softly, laying his head on top of Aeris'.

Her breath caught in her throat, too many emotions to name swelling in her chest and threatening to drown her at those three little words. "I love you too, Zack," she whispered, her voice wavering as she fought to hold the tears at bay.

Zack tightened his arm around her trembling shoulders. "I just realized that I've never actually come out and said it before- you don't have to reciprocate it if you're not ready or if you don't feel the same," he said, still looking out toward the horizon. "I mean, I made you wait for five years," he joked, trying to lighten the mood. "I think you're entitled to some pay back, right?"

Aeris just shook her head, unable to speak. Her breath came in shuddering gasps as she slowly lost the battle.

Zack lifted his head, turning to look down at her. "Hey, what's wrong?" he asked, his voice filled with concern.

That question was sufficient to tip the scales enough to allow the first few tears to escape. She covered her face with her hands, still doing her best to hold it all in as the emotions coursing through her threatened to rip her chest apart. A pitiful moan slipped out with her hitching breaths as everything she'd been trying not to think about over the last few days came crashing down on her with startling clarity and she gave in.

Zack almost jumped at the sudden and heart-wrenching sobs from his girlfriend. He immediately pulled her to his chest, wrapping his arms around her. "I'm sorry," he apologized, holding her tightly. "I shouldn't have just sprung that on you like that- I mean, I thought you knew, and I'm not sure how you tell someone _that_ without kind of just dropping it on them, but I'm still really sorry," he babbled, trying to calm her down.

His words only made her cry harder, shaking her head vehemently. "I do love you Zack!" she cried, fisting her hands in his shirt though she refused to meet his eyes. "I love you so much, and-" She broke off, burying her head in his shoulder as a fresh wave of tears coursed down her cheeks.

She may have said something else at that point, but her hysteria made the words indistinguishable from her sobs. Not wanting to upset her even more by pointing that out, Zack wisely kept his mouth shut, instead opting to rub her back as he gently rocked her from side to side.

The sky had faded to a dark blue and the stars were coming out by the time Aeris calmed down, her hands slowly releasing their death grip on Zack's shirt as she fell asleep. He continued to hold her for a while longer, until he was sure she wouldn't wake before carefully lifting and carrying her back to the inn. He'd never seen Aeris hysterical before and it kind of freaked him out.

She seemed to be back to her usual humor when she woke him early the next morning, packing their belongings in the basket while he got dressed. Aeris didn't say a word about the night before and Zack was all too happy to follow her example. He'd do anything for her, but was completely helpless in the face of her tears. He wasn't eager for an encore.

 **. . .**

The boat ride was thankfully much less eventful than the crossing from Junon to Coasta Del Sol and they arrived in the sleepy fishing village of Dorrin late the following morning. Stopping only long enough to get supplies, it wasn't long before they were in the air again. They were closing in on their destination, Zack finally agreeing to carry Aeris' shrunken form on his arm after the twelfth time she popped out of the basket to correct his heading in a hour.

It was after dark- Aeris insisting were almost there -when the shadowy outline of the forest below them fell away to reveal a small canyon carved out of the landscape. One end had large clusters of… _something_ glowing with a soft, ethereal white light. Aeris voice was quiet when she informed him that was their destination.

The white clusters turned out to be trees as they got closer, though like none Zack had ever seen. Most of them had bare branches but the ones with 'leaves' looked more like mushrooms, sporting a large flat top easily several times long as Zack was tall. As he drew nearer, he realized a path was laid out around the area leading to several conch shells easily large enough to live in, as well as a number of ruble piles that may have once been houses.

"The Forgotten Capital," Aeris breathed as Zack landed, the ancient shells making up the path creaking softly under his feet. She took a few steps forward after she'd been restored to her proper size, staring around her in wonder. "This is where the Cetra used to live." She closed her eyes, just listening. "The voice of the Planet is so clear here."

"Do you know why it called you here?" Zack asked, unconsciously keeping his voice down. There was an undeniable sense of peace in the air and it seemed wrong to disturb it.

Aeris nodded, smiling serenely. "I have to summon Holy."

"Holy?" Zack repeated. "What's that?"

Aeris opened her eyes, looking more at ease than she had in over a week. "It's the ultimate white magic," she explained. "I don't know the details, but something's happening- something the Planet calls 'The Calamity' is threatening her again. Holy can stop it."

Zack scratched his head, not quite sure what to say to that. "So, what do you need to do?"

Aeris turned her head, as if listening to something only she could hear. "We got here a little early," she said, taking Zack's hand and leading him down one of the paths toward a conch shell that was mostly still intact. "We can sleep here tonight and head to the altar tomorrow."

There was a large hole- door? -carved out of the base of the shell, allowing them entry. A softly glowing coral lit the inside, illuminating the smooth pebbles covering the floor and providing a bit of traction on the upward slope of the otherwise smooth shell. There were a couple small crates and a barrel further in, but Aeris immediately moved over to the ladder that led up to the second level. A small dresser and a couple pieces of furniture that Zack didn't recognize were to the left of the ladder, but three beds lined the wall to the right, following the curve of the shell as it arched upward. The blankets and pillows were in shockingly good condition for how old they were, but the dust made itself known in a cloud when Aeris plopped down on one of the beds.

She coughed, waving her hand to clear the air. "Well, I think we'd be better off using our own blankets, but the mattresses are surprisingly comfortable."

Zack moved over to the wall, looking at a dried starfish. "Aeris, I hate to ask but...we're your people fish?"

"What?"

Zack shrugged. "This place has a pretty aquatic feel, don't you think?" he asked, gesturing around them. "The path, the coral lights, the starfish on the wall- I mean, these people were living in conch shells."

"Maybe the ocean was a lot closer to here back then, than it is today," she suggested, laughing at the absurd notion. "But no, we weren't fish."

"Right, it was a silly question," Zack agreed, rubbing the back of his head.

"Come on," she said, standing and taking the basket from him. "Let's get something to eat and then go to bed. I'm sure you're tired from flying all day."

The next morning Zack woke up feeling surprisingly refreshed for sleeping on a centuries-old bed. Aeris was already up so he quickly got dressed and went in search of her. He found her outside, sitting on a large rock and talking to the shattered remains of another shell-house a little further down the path.

"He is coming here? How long?" she asked, idly running a brush through her hair. "I see... No, I'll be ready. Where is the altar?" She turned to look at the largest cluster of trees, seemingly located in the middle of the city. Turning brought Zack into view and she blinked in surprise before smiling warmly. "Good morning, Zack," she greeted, pulling her hair back into a ponytail and securing it in place with the ribbon he'd bought her all those years ago. "Did you sleep well?" she asked pleasantly.

"Surprisingly so, yeah," he said, not sure if he should ask about her one-sided conversation or not. Deciding eavesdropping was generally considered rude, he opted to pretend he didn't hear anything unless she asked. "So, are we going to save the world before or after breakfast?"

Aeris laughed. "Definitely after breakfast," she said, standing and heading back to the house where their supplies were. "Maybe after lunch, possibly even after dinner. I don't know how long it'll take exactly, but it's going to be a while."

After they ate, Aeris led the way toward the alter where Holy would be summoned. The narrow path led them to another large conch house sitting in a lake in the very heart of the grove. The inside had the same gravel lining the floor, although the center of the shell had been taken out and kelp or some sort of water grass was growing in its place. As Aeris approached it the grass parted, glowing blue stairs seemingly made of light appearing out of nowhere. She stepped onto it without hesitation, following the stairs underneath the house. Zack, while not quite as trusting as his girlfriend, was unwilling to let her go alone and hastened to follow her down.

It was maybe twenty stairs or so before the grass parted, revealing a large cavern hidden beneath the lake. Zack gaped at the large crystal pillars slanting down from the roof in a cone shape, the light stairs curving around them and ending at several medieval-style towers with a large platform around them at two different levels nestled inside the pillar's base. As he got closer, he could tell the entire thing was built over a hidden spring, the towers curving around one side of it while what he assumed was the altar sat right in the middle. Several small platforms where close enough to jump between to reach the altar.

"This is it," Aeris said as she reached the bottom of the stairs, looking out over the lake.

"Okay, what do we need to do?" Zack asked.

Aeris smiled at him. "I'm going to head to the platform over there and pray until the summoning is complete."

"Even if it takes all day?"

"Even if it takes all day."

Zack scratched the back of his head. "I'm not too good at sitting still," he warned her.

She laughed lightly. "You're free to do whatever you want, Zack," she told him, lightly resting her hand on his arm. "You can stay down here or explore the city. I'm the one that has to do this."

"I think I'll stay down here- I mean, if I won't be in your way or anything."

"It should be fine," Aeris said. She hesitated briefly before stepping forward and sliding her arms around his neck. "I _do_ love you, Zack," she told him, holding him tightly. "I'm sorry about my breakdown the other day- I didn't fully understand then what the Planet wanted of me and I was afraid, but-" She broke off, shaking her head. "I never want you do doubt that I love you."

Zack returned her embrace unhesitatingly. "What's going on, Aeris?" he asked worriedly, rubbing her back. "Why the last minute confession? What aren't you telling me?"

She sighed into his collar. "Things are being set in motion," she said, choosing her words with great care. "The Black Materia is moving, which is why I need to summon Holy to counter it. The Calamity poses a threat to the entire Planet and everything living on it. This is big, Zack- bigger than you or me."

"Hey, we'll get through this," Zack promised, pulling back slightly and lifting her chin to meet his eyes. "I'm not going to leave your side, even if the Planet wants you to travel to Wutai and back for some mystical weapon or whatever, alright? We're in this together."

Aeris smiled, resting her forehead against his. "Thanks, Zack. And thanks for coming with me- it means a lot to me."

"What kind of man would I be if I made my girlfriend walk across monster infested continents all by herself, huh?" Zack asked, lightening the mood with a teasing smile.

"Probably a normal one," she countered with a perfectly straight face.

"That just goes to show what an extraordinary guy I am," he quipped without missing a beat.

Aeris laughed. "And I wouldn't have you any other way," she said, kissing his cheek. "Now, I should head over to the altar."

Zack caught her hand as she turned. "Just...be careful, alright?" he asked, all levity gone.

Aeris smiled at him reassuringly, although her eyes were a bit sad. "I will," she promised, squeezing his hand before letting go.

Zack watched her carefully navigate the glorified stepping stones leading to the altar before shaking his head and turning away. She'd said she was just going to be praying so she shouldn't be in any danger, but Zack resolved to stay nearby, just in case.

 **. . .**

Zack pushed himself up off the floor and reattached his sword to the magnetic harness, shrugging his shoulders to shift the straps holding it in place slightly as the weapon's weight settled against his back. He started yet another round of restless pacing around the base of the towers, frequently glancing to where Aeris was kneeling at the altar in the center of the lake. She had told him that it would take a while and he was trying to be patient, but there was something in the air that had him on edge. It felt like the calm before a storm, when all the birds and animals back home would suddenly go quiet moments before a thunderstorm unleashed its fury on the town. Zack hadn't seen so much as an insect in the deserted city so the silence was expected, but it still felt like some unseen force was waiting with baited breath for...something. And it was driving him crazy.

Zack tried to ease some of the tension out of his shoulders, sighing softly as he realized his hand was once again on the hilt of his sword. He gave up any pretense of boredom, making a beeline for Aeris. Something was going to happen and it was going to be soon. Given that Aeris was the only one _doing_ anything, he thought it was a pretty safe bet that she'd be right in the middle of it.

He easily hopped across the smaller platforms, fighting to keep his pace at a casual stroll and to at least look somewhat relaxed. Aeris seemed oblivious to the expectation and anticipation practically thrumming in the air all around them and he didn't want to worry her unnecessarily. There was still a possibility that he _was_ being overly paranoid. They _had_ come to summon the ultimate magic after all. Still, he'd rather be prepared for anything than caught flat-footed.

Aeris raised her head as he approached, looking up at him over her clasped hands. Her eyes were shining with unshed tears even as she smiled at him, seeming to be begging him to understand. He blinked in surprise, opening his mouth to ask what was wrong when the faint creak of leather high overhead reached his ears. His fears came crashing down on him as his body shot forward like a coiled spring, arms wrapping around Aeris and rolling away from the perceived threat. A distant part of his mind wondered if he might be over-reacting, but it was quickly silenced as the cold _clang_ of steel striking stone behind him echoed throughout the large chamber.

Zack quickly released Aeris and sprang back to his feet, already drawing his sword and stepping past her as he faced the enemy. His eyes widened at the familiar pale face framed by long silver hair, cold glowing green eyes surveying him coolly. A long black coat settled around the new arrival as he straightened up to his full height, the Masamune held deceptively loosely in his left hand. "Sephiroth," Zack breathed, eyes hardening as he clenched his jaw. "You're supposed to be dead!"

"So are you, if the official reports are to be believed," Sephiroth replied, smirking. "And yet, here we are." He languidly tossed his hair over one shoulder. "Did you truly believe a mere _cadet_ would be able to kill _me?_ "

"What do you want?!" Zack demanded.

"Only what every good son wants," Sephiroth replied, his eyes sliding toward Aeris still lying on the ground. "To fulfill his mother's wishes."

"What does that have to do with Aeris?!"

"The girl is a hindrance to our plans and must be dealt with accordingly."

Zack's grip tightened on the handle of his sword, his leather gloves creaking. "Over my dead body!"

Sephiroth's smirk widened, his eyes glowing brightly. "As you wish."

Zack didn't wait for Sephiroth to finish speaking, darting forward to attack. Sephiroth's reflexes hadn't dulled in the last five years, his katana already up to block Zack's sword. They exchanged lightning fast blows, parrying and countering as they each tried to slip through the other's defenses. Sephiroth jumped back to the main area for a bit more fighting room, Zack right on his tail.

Sephiroth spun as he landed, lashing out with his sword. Zack used his own blade to block the attack but without the traction of the ground beneath his boots, he was sent flying to the side and through several walls of one of the buildings. He quickly regained his feet, raising his sword as Sephiroth ran after him, not giving him any time to recover. Sparks flew as the blades clashed, Zack giving ground as Sephiroth pressed his advantage.

They jumped around the rooms, rebounding off the ceiling and walls as they traded blows in a deadly dance. Zack sidestepped a kicked chair, quickly bringing up his sword and locking blades as Sephiroth followed through. A burst of strength sent the former general flying back, breaking through the roof of the building and disappearing in the dust and debris. Zack wasted no time in following, glancing around for his opponent. A whistle of steel through the air sent him rolling to the side, the Masamune cracking the stone walkway he'd just been standing on.

As the battle continued, Zack couldn't help but feel Sephiroth wasn't quite at his best. The last time they had crossed blades, the fight had been sorely one-sided with Zack feeling like a mouse being toyed with by the cat. Now however, Zack was able to hold his own against the silver-haired man, a feat previously thought impossible in one-on-one combat. The ex-SOLDIER couldn't help but wonder if this was some ruse meant to lull him in to a false sense of security and resolved not to let his guard down.

The shriek of metal on metal made Zack look up, seeing a large section of one of the support pillars tumbling toward him. With no time to get out of the way, he channeled his energy into his sword and jumped toward the stone pillar, slicing clean through it. Sephiroth was already there, having anticipated Zack's move. Although the raven-haired man managed to get his sword up in time to block the katana, the awkward position left him open to a kick in his side, which sent him flying out over the water. With nothing to land on Zack reflexively pushed out his wing, catching himself just above the surface of the lake. He quickly spun around, hovering in the air as he got his bearings.

Sephiroth's eyes widened slightly at the sight of the wing before his lips turned up in a mocking smile. "It seems SOLDIER really is a den of monsters," he stated, chuckling. "Let us take this to the sky, shall we?" He threw out his right arm with a flourish, a large black wing sprouting from his shoulder in a flurry of feathers.

Zack's heart sank as he saw the wing, so similar to his own. Angeal had had two white wings, the second located directly beneath the first and far too small to be useful for anything. The larger wing, while allowing for limited flight, had still looked too small for his large stature. Genesis' single wing had been black but it looked rather misshapen, most of it being too long and skinny to fully support his weight for extended periods in the air. It also had an extra joint thrown in, seemingly just for good measure. Comparatively, Sephiroth's wing was perfectly formed, almost as if it had been plucked from a[n admittedly _large_ ] bird of prey and attached to his back. Powerful muscles contracted and released beneath the glossy black feathers, making them ripple and catch the light. It was an almost perfect imitation of Zack's own wing. Or rather, Zack reflected bitterly, his wing was a close replica of Sephiroth's.

All thoughts of degradation fled his mind as a powerful stroke of Sephiroth's wing propelled him into the air and he shot across the water. Their blades clashed again, the aerial battle adding a whole new level to the playing field. Zack had a bit of an advantage as it didn't seem Sephiroth had practiced with his wing before, although he was a quick study. Still, the wings needed to be fully extended to keep them both airborne and neither one were used to defending an area that large so far away from their bodies.

Blood spattered in the water as they darted back and forth through the air, their swords continually nicking each other's wings but never managing to land a crippling blow. Zack could feel the liquid running down his feathers and making them stick together. He was a little disconcerted to realize that he was the only one bleeding. Dark wisps of miasma leaked from Sephiroth's wounds, covering the wing in a haze and Zack couldn't help but wonder what that might mean.

Their swords caught and locked once more, wings beating furiously as they pushed against each other. Zack grit his teeth, glaring at the silver-haired man over their crossed blades. If Zack hadn't been staring right into Sephiroth's eyes, he wouldn't have seen the green orbs glaze over as his attention was abruptly drawn elsewhere. The ex-SOLDIER immediately broke the stalemate, knocking the katana off to the side and sliding his own sword through Sephiroth's chest before the former general could recover. Wide green eyes met his for a second before he flung Sephiroth off his blade and into another building at the water's edge.

Zack carefully followed Sephiroth's path, not trusting the seemingly critical injury to be enough to finish him off. He hovered about thirty feet from the building, waiting to see if the silver-haired man would rise again.

Sephiroth pulled himself out of the rubble, staggering over the debris littering the ground but managing to keep his feet. One hand was clutching the wound across his chest, headless of the dark miasma pouring out of it. Zack eyes narrowed at the triumphant grin that spread across the former general's face.

"I see," Sephiroth breathed, his silky baritone coming out strained. "It was all a ruse and I almost fell for it. If you hadn't stopped me..."

"What do you mean?!" Zack demanded, gripping his sword so hard the knuckles were white.

Sephiroth just continued grinning with unholy glee. His expression faltered as one of his legs gave out, automatically using his sword to support himself. He looked down at his body, as if only just then noticing the fatal would. "It seems this puppet is indeed as inferior as the rest," he commented idly, speaking more to himself than to Zack. "Still, it has served its purpose." His eyes flicked up, meeting Zack's gaze once more. "I suppose I should thank you, Zackary. Without Holy, there is no power on this earth that can stop me."

"What are you talking about?! Aeris is summoning Holy right now!" Zack yelled, risking a quick glance back at the altar. Aeris had resumed her kneeling position with her hands clasped tightly in front of her. She looked upset, shaking her head almost desperately but was visibly unharmed.

Sephiroth just smirked, closing his eyes as he wrapped his wing around himself. The miasma intensified, briefly obscuring his form from view before dissipating in a non-existent breeze. The feathers flew off as the wing- and Sephiroth -vanished, leaving behind a painfully familiar man dressed in a SOLDIER uniform with spiky blond hair. He stood where the former general had disappeared for a heartbeat, glassy blue eyes staring at nothing. Then, like a marionette with its strings cut, the blond fell limply to the ground.

Zack couldn't move, unable to do more than simply stare at his lost friend. Emotions came crashing down around him as his mind struggled to process what had just happened. Confusion and hope warred with suspicion and anger, nothing about the entire situation making sense. However, the blood rapidly pooling around the still form pushed terror to the forefront and spurred Zack to action, screaming his name as he dove toward the blonde.

 ** _"CLOUD!"_**

 **. . .**

 **To Be Continued**

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	19. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

 ** _Uncontested in the depths Northern Crater, Sephiroth used the Black Materia to summon the ultimate black magic: Meteor. Vincent watched in bitter frustration as Zack- mankind's last hope of defeating Sephiroth -hovered beside the critically injured Cloud, wallowing in self-incrimination and despair. He didn't react to Vincent's words and barely responded to Aeris. ShinRa's attempts to stop Meteor were just an unsuccessful as they had been in the original timeline and the entire world was in a state of panic. Meteor came, Holy didn't, the Lifestream did not intervene and Sephiroth was on the verge of realizing his goal to virtually become a god._**

 ** _"Why didn't Holy come?" Vincent asked, his eyes remaining riveted on the celestial rock as it obliterated Midgar and left a scar on the Planet large enough to put the Northern Crater to shame._**

 ** _"THE SUMMONING WAS INCOMPLETE."_**

 ** _"How so?"_**

 ** _"THERE WAS INSUFFICIENT ENERGY. THE WHITE AND BLACK MATERIA SUMMON FORTH THE ULTIMATE MAGIC. ONE PERSON ALONE CANNOT DO THIS."_**

 ** _"Then how did Sephiroth summon Meteor?" Vincent asked._**

 ** _"HE USED THE ENERGY GATHERED IN THE NORTHERN CRATER."_**

 ** _"Aeris was able to summon Holy in the original timeline," he pointed out._**

 ** _"SHE WAS KILLED DURING THE SUMMONING, ALLOWING HER TO USE THE ENTIRETY OF HER LIFE FORCE TO DO SO," the winged demon explained. "IT WAS ONLY ENOUGH TO CALL ON A FRACTION OF HOLY'S POWER, BUT GAVE THE PLANET ENOUGH TIME TO USE THE LIFESTREAM TO DEAL WITH METEOR."_**

 ** _Vincent closed his eyes briefly as the old grief from a friend lost flared in his chest. Although he had been unable to save Lucrecia or Sephiroth, he had hoped he might at least be able to spare Aeris her fate. He turned away as Chaos rewound the events, disappointed at yet another failed attempt. Although they had stayed fairly close to what he remembered happening in the original timeline, it was obvious that the difference in outcomes hinged on one key element._**

 ** _"Why did Cloud never recover from his mako poisoning?" Vincent asked, turning his attention to Chaos._**

 ** _The winged demon was lounging casually amid the swirling green tendrils of Lifestream that surrounded them, only giving Vincent half his attention as he reordered time once more. "HIS CETRA BLOOD IS INCOMPATIBLE WITH THE CALAMITY," the demon explained. "EXPOSURE TO CONCENTRATED MAKO WHILE ALREADY IN A WEAKENED STATE BADLY DAMAGED HIS PSYCHE AND THE CALAMITY TRIED TO DESTROY WHAT WAS LEFT, SUCCEEDING IN ERADICATING SEVERAL KEY ELEMENTS. WITHOUT ANY SORT OF TEMPLATE FROM WHICH TO REBUILD THE PATHWAYS IN HIS MIND, IN ADDITION TO THE CONSTANT BATTLE BETWEEN THE J-CELLS AND HIS CETRA BLOOD, CLOUD WAS UNABLE TO RECOVER."_**

 ** _Vincent blinked, more than a bit surprised at the revelation. "He is one of the Cetra?"_**

 ** _Chaos snorted. "NO."_**

 ** _Red eyes narrowed, wondering what game Chaos was playing now. "Explain."_**

 ** _The winged demon smiled as he sensed the shift in his host's mood. Even after multiple chances to change the past, as well as honest explanations to all his queries, the human was still suspicious. "HIS ANCESTORS WERE OF CETRA DESCENT, THOUGH THE BLOODLINES HAVE BEEN HEAVILY DILUTED. HAVE YOU NOT NOTICED HOW LIVING CREATURES ALL GRAVITATE TO HIM?"_**

 ** _Vincent's brows furrowed slightly as he thought back about his interactions with the blonde, trying to recall any encounters with animals that weren't trying to kill them. No interactions with any dogs, cats or other common pets stood out, however... "Chocobo," he murmured softly. "His skill in racing and breeding the birds was uncanny, especially considering he had no prior experience. They always responded better to him than anyone else."_**

 ** _"NOT ONLY ANIMALS," Chaos corrected, his grin widening enough to show his fangs. "PEOPLE AS WELL."_**

 ** _"What do you mean?"_**

 ** _"WHY DID YOU FOLLOW HIM?" Chaos countered._**

 ** _"To get revenge on Hojo," Vincent answered, crossing his arms over his chest._**

 ** _"I DID NOT ASK WHY YOU LEFT YOUR COFFIN," the demon stated, shaking his head. "CLOUD IS NOT CHARISMATIC. HE IS NOT A MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER, OR EVEN SOCIAL AT ALL. YOU PERSONALLY WITNESSED SEPHIROTH CONTROLLING HIS ACTIONS ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION AND EVEN AFTER HE SORTED OUT HIS MEMORIES, HE HIMSELF COULD NOT SAY FOR CERTAIN WHETHER HIS DRIVE TO FIND SEPHIROTH WAS HIS OWN."_**

 ** _Chaos turned his head, leaning forward slightly as he focused his glowing yellow eyes on Vincent. "A MAN YOU HAD KNOWN FOR LESS THAN TWO MONTHS, ONE WHO HAD ALREADY LOST CONTROL AND TURNED ON YOU IN THE PAST WITH NO GUARANTEE IT WOULDN'T HAPPEN AGAIN. ALL YOUR TURK TRAINING AND INSTINCTS SHOULD HAVE BEEN SCREAMING AT YOU TO PUT A BULLET IN HIS HEAD, OR AT THE VERY LEAST PART COMPANY WITH HIM." Chaos' smile was back, not quite mocking, but not entirely innocent either. "YET WHAT DID YOU DO INSTEAD? WILLINGLY FOLLOWED HIM INTO THE VERY PIT OF HELL ITSELF. WHY?"_**

 ** _Vincent stared at the demon, unsure of his own actions. Chaos spoke the truth. Cloud had been compromised to the highest degree. If it had been anyone else, Vincent would not have hesitated to neutralize the threat. Why was Cloud different? "I...I don't know," he admitted quietly._**

 ** _"THAT IS A GIFT FROM HIS CETRA BLOOD, WHAT LITTLE OF IT FLOWS THROUGH HIS VEINS," Chaos explained, leaning back and turning his gaze once more to the Lifestream flowing around them. "ALL LIVING CREATURES ARE DRAWN TO HIM."_**

 ** _"If Cloud is at least part Cetra, I assume there are others?"_**

 ** _Chaos inclined his head. "SCATTERED THROUGHOUT THE WORLD, THOUGH NONE WITH ENOUGH BLOOD TO CLAIM THAT BIRTHRIGHT. AERIS WAS THE LAST."_**

 ** _Putting that tidbit of information aside to ponder on later, Vincent steered the conversation in a slightly different direction. "If his Cetra blood is so incompatible with the Calamity, why was he able to succeed Sephiroth in the earlier scenarios?"_**

 ** _"BECAUSE OF HIS INFANCY. HE WAS TOO YOUNG WHEN THE CALAMITY WAS INTRODUCED INTO HIS SYSTEM. HIS CETRA BLOOD WAS DESTROYED WHILE HIS BODY WAS STILL DEVELOPING AND HE WAS ALTERED ACCORDINGLY."_**

 ** _"His parents were part Cetra as well then?" Vincent asked, wondering how many others with at least partial Cetra blood were still around._**

 ** _"MOST OF NIBELHIEM WAS. THAT IS PARTLY WHY SEPHIROTH RAZED IT TO THE GROUND, THOUGH I DOUBT HE REALIZED IT."_**

 ** _Vincent nodded distractedly. "Alright, Cloud's catatonia was due to his Cetra blood warring with the J-cells, in addition to his psyche being damaged from the mako," he summarized, getting back on track. "How was he able to recover in the original timeline?"_**

 ** _"WHEN ZACK DIED, PART OF HIS ESSENCE MERGED WITH CLOUD, FILLING IN THE GAPS AND CREATING NEW PATHWAYS IN HIS MIND. THAT IS WHY CLOUD HAD ZACK'S MEMORIES AND JUMPED BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN HIS OWN PERSONALITY AND THAT OF HIS FRIEND," Chaos explained, his attention focused on something Vincent couldn't see beyond the swirling green mists around them. "ZACK'S ESSENCE ALSO AIDED THE CETRA BLOOD IN FIGHTING OFF THE CALAMITY'S INFLUENCE, THOUGH CLOUD'S OWN CONFUSED IDENTITY OFTEN UNDERMINED THAT."_**

 ** _Vincent leaned back, knowing the solid feeling of a wall behind him was only there because he expected it to be. He carefully considered everything he had learned since Chaos had presented him with this unique opportunity, turning the different scenarios and outcomes over in his mind. After several moments of silence, he gave voice to the hunch that had been steadily growing stronger since his first failure. "There is no better outcome, is there," he said, the query sounding more like a statement._**

 ** _Chaos lips turned up in a wan smile. "FOR YOUR INTENTS AND PURPOSES, NO."_**

 ** _Annoyance surged through Vincent. "Then why tempt me with the possibility at all?" he demanded._**

 ** _"A BOON WAS OFFERED," the demon explained, wings fluttering slightly as he shrugged. "YOU CHOSE WHAT IT WOULD BE."_**

 ** _"Does it amuse you to watch me try for a better future, knowing each attempt would be in vain?" Vincent asked bitterly. He had suspected some trick right from the beginning and had tried not to put too much hope in finding a better outcome, but each successive failure still weighed heavily upon him._**

 ** _Chaos shifted his gaze back to Vincent, studying him intently. "I DO NOT DO THIS FOR MY OWN PLEASURE," he stated, yellow eyes meeting red. "MY PURPOSE IS TO PROTECT THE PLANET UNTIL ITS TIME COMES. TO THAT END, I HAVE PURSUED EVERY OUTCOME TO EVERY POSSIBLE SCENARIO IMAGINABLE AND CHOSE THE ONE MOST SUITED TO THE PLANET'S CONTINUED SURVIVAL." He leaned forward again, green tendrils swirling around his wings as they twitched in irritation. "DO NOT THINK I DERIVE ANY ENJOYMENT IN WATCHING YOU FAIL WHERE I HAVE ALREADY DONE SO."_**

 ** _"Then what was the point of all this?" Vincent pressed. "Why not tell me this is the best outcome at the beginning?"_**

 ** _"YOU HAVE NEVER BELIEVED ME IN THE PAST. WHY WOULD NOW BE DIFFERENT?"_**

 ** _"The past?" Vincent asked. "This is the first you've ever spoken to me."_**

 ** _"IN THIS LIFE TIME," Chaos allowed. Sensing his host's confusion, he elaborated. "ALL LIVING THINGS ARE BORN OF THE LIFESTREAM. WHEN THEY DIE, THAT SPIRIT ENERGY RETURNS TO THE LIFESTREAM- YOU ALREADY KNOW THIS." He moved his hand, gently pulling a nearby tendril of energy in front of him. "IN ITS PREVIOUS LIFE THIS USED TO BE PART OF A TREE," he stated, reaching for another one. "AND THIS WAS PART OF A BANDERSNATCH." He brought the two together, watching as they combined into one larger stream. "AND IT WILL PROBABLY BE SOMETHING DIFFERENT IN ITS NEXT LIFE."_**

 ** _"What does this have to do with me?"_**

 ** _"YOU ARE THE ONLY PERSON IN THE WORLD THAT CAN BE MY HOST," Chaos explained. "THAT IS BECAUSE YOU ARE COMPRISED OF ALL THE SPIRIT ENERGY MOST CLOSELY ATTUNED WITH ME IN THE ENTIRE LIFESTREAM. WHEN I WILL HAVE NEED OF A PHYSICAL BODY, YOU ARE BORN AND WE ARE MERGED AT SOME POINT IN YOUR ADULT LIFE. THE BOON IS COMPENSATION FOR THE DISRUPTION OF YOUR LIFE CYCLE."_**

 ** _Vincent was silent for a long moment, trying to process all that was- and wasn't -said. "This is not the first time you've used me as a host," he stated slowly. "Nor will it be the last."_**

 ** _"NO."_**

 ** _Vincent felt oddly detached, as if he was discussing someone else's cosmic misfortune. "Is this how it is in every life? I end up some scientist's plaything so you can have a physical body?"_**

 ** _Chaos snorted again. "NO. IN MOST OF THE PREVIOUS MERGERS YOU WERE A WILLING PARTICIPANT. IT IS EASIER FOR US TO COMMUNICATE IN THOSE INSTANCES, AS YOU ARE NOT CONSTANTLY FIGHTING AGAINST MY PRESENCE IN YOUR BODY. IN SITUATIONS WHERE THIS IS FORCED UPON YOU I AM ONLY ABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH YOU FOR A SHORT TIME, GENERALLY PRECEDING THE EVENT IN WHICH I NEED A PHYSICAL FORM."_**

 ** _"Something is going to happen?"_**

 ** _"SOMETHING IS ALWAYS HAPPENING."_**

 ** _Vincent scowled in annoyance at the deliberately vague response._**

 ** _Chaos laughed, his wings fluttering with the movement. "YOUR BOON WAS TO CHANGE THE PAST, MY HOST. NOT SEE THE FUTURE."_**

 ** _"Then you have met the requirements of this boon. Why do you linger here?"_**

 ** _"WHY INDEED?" Chaos repeated, his lips curling into a smirk. "UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN."_**

Vincent woke with a start, disoriented. He pushed himself to a sitting position, glancing around at his surroundings. He was in Lucrecia's cave, sitting about twenty feet from the mako crystal encasing his lost love. He came here often to reflect, thinking about the past and what might have been. It seemed this time he had fallen asleep.

Bits of the odd dream he'd had filtered through his mind, most of it slipping away upon his return to the waking world. It felt like something important had transpired, yet he couldn't quite remember what it was... He shook his head, clearing any lingering thoughts as he pushed himself to his feet. Dreams were merely flights of fancy conjured up by an idle mind.

He exited the cave, blinking owlishly in the bright sunlight. He pulled out his phone to check the time, raising an eyebrow at the icon indicating he had a text message. He tapped on it, opening an urgent request from Reeve to meet him in Kalm.

Something stirred in his memory, the image of Chaos surrounded by the swirling green of the Lifestream flashing before his eyes. He shook his head, dismissing the after effects of his dream from his mind as he mounted the chocobo he'd left tethered nearby. Kalm was on a different continent, so he needed to get going if he wanted to reach the town by the end of the week.

Back in the cave, the silence was broken by a woman's voice, the words echoing around the interior. "I'm so sorry..."

 **. . .**

 **The End** of this story.

Continued in **"Dirge of Cerberus"** for the PS2.

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